Gaza's Interior Ministry criticizes West Bank arrests

Sunday November 18, 2007 18:44 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies

The Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry in Gaza on Sunday criticized the Palestinian Authority's (PA) actions across the West Bank, mainly the recent arrest campaign in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

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In a statement faxed to the press, the ministry described the arrests as "part of the implementation of the U.S-brokered road map peace blueprint, which calls for dismantling the Palestinian resistance groups."

The statement also expressed "deep concern" over the future of Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation, criticizing the Ramallah-based Interior Minister, Abdelrazzaq Alyehya, terming him an "alleged minister."

The ministry also called on what it termed "noble patriotic security officers to disobey orders of al-Yehya, refrain from fighting the Palestinian resistance fighters and reject 'security coordination."

Such a statement came several hours after scores of the PA's security personnel in the West Bank cordoned off the el-Ein refugee camp on the outskirts of Nablus city.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said four of its resistance fighters were apprehended during the assault. 

gaza strip | internal unrest | news report rami at imemc dot org