A general strike as a sign of mourning was held in Judea and Samaria on Wednesday following the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, Ismail Haniyeh's deputy. The publication of a death notice and the announcement of the strike were taken as a first step in response to the assassination by the Fatah movement, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, but did not come as an official step from within the PA.
Pro-Hamas demonstrators in Jenin after al-Arouri's assassination,
A group called the National and Islamic Forces, composed of representatives of the Palestinian factions, initiated the strike, in which trade was shut down and no classes were held. While no special incidents were recorded on the ground during the day, several hundred Palestinians demonstrated in Hebron, considered a Hamas stronghold, chanting slogans of al-Arouri praise while carrying Hamas flags.
Saleh al-Arouri (archive), photo: Arab networks
Upon learning of his assassination, dozens of armed operatives from all the terrorist networks took to the streets in Jenin and held a military showcase during which they fired in the air and demanded revenge. The march was led by Jamal Hawil, one of Fatah's commanders in the area. He praised a member of the village of al-Arora (near Ramallah), where al-Arouri grew until he became one of the strongest commanders in the organization, calling him a "heroic leader." "He has always worked for unity and believed in resistance as the only solution to defeating the enemy," Hawil said, pledging to continue his path.
The PA, for its part, did not rush to issue a mourning notice for al-Arouri's death, but Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh sent condolences to Hamas and his family, accusing Israel of committing a "crime." Fatah Secretary-General Jibril Rajoub was one of the organization's senior figures who rushed to call Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh to console him. In recent years, he and al-Arouri have worked extensively together to end the rift between Fatah and Hamas and achieve a reconciliation agreement between the two conflicting organizations.
It is not for nothing that Fatah described al-Arouri as "a patriotic personality of the highest order." Unlike Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, al-Arouri maintained close contact with Fatah members even after he got out of prison. He invested a great deal of effort in perfecting the methods of terrorism in Judea and Samaria, and constantly tried to find ways to implement his plans. Unlike other senior Hamas figures, especially from Gaza, who were reluctant to maintain military cooperation on the ground with other Palestinian organizations in Judea and Samaria, al-Arouri expressed openness on this issue, and thought that joining Hamas operatives with Fatah and Islamic Jihad militants could benefit the organization in promoting terrorism against Israel. It so happened that in northern Samaria, and especially in Jenin, lines of organizational affiliation blurred a bit amid a multitude of militias and networks. All in order to achieve the great goal of "developing the resistance."
Al-Arouri became even more intense in Judea and Samaria against the Palestinian Authority, especially after the end of Operation Guardian of the Walls, and took advantage of the resentment among grassroots activists and Fatah militants who were disappointed with Mahmoud Abbas, in order to recruit them to carry out attacks.
"Funds were transferred from abroad to Hebron, and from there to the armed men of Jenin. Hamas, and in particular senior Hamas official al-Arouri, bought officers and members of the security forces in Hebron with money for this purpose," a Palestinian source told Israel Hayom last August, when Mahmoud Abbas convened an urgent meeting of Fatah members and commanders, expressing concern that the PA would lose control not only in Jenin, but also in Hebron.
The Palestinian Authority leadership did not approve of al-Arouri's involvement in establishing Hamas cells. His repeated efforts to finance and arm young Palestinians were perceived in Ramallah as an attempt to create anarchy and a dangerous move that could undermine Abbas' rule.
The Palestinian street spoke of his assassination in terms of "a great loss for Palestine," but noted that "there will be another thousand like him, and the resistance will continue after him." In an interview with his family in the village of Arora after the assassination, his mother said: "This is the sacrifice to the homeland." His sister said, "I congratulate myself and the entire Palestinian people. We are not in a situation of receiving comfort, my brother's death is no more precious than the children of Gaza who were killed. His blood will be the spark that will ignite the entire West Bank and burn the occupier."
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