Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of the Fatah's Central Committee and former head of the Palestinian Preventive Security Force in the West Bank, said on Tuesday that Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7 "didn’t come from nowhere" and was "part of the Palestinians' defensive war" against "the continued crimes of the occupation in Gaza."
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In an interview with Egyptian TV channel MBC, Rajoub said that "the next, more severe violence will come from the West Bank. What is happening in the West Bank, which includes 700,000 Israeli settlers, is a similar situation and is connected to all aspects of life, holy sites and even olive trees, our schools, mosques and churches. Therefore, the next oonflagration will be more violent in the West Bank."
Rajoub, currently serving as the president of the Palestinian Football Association and maintaining connections with various groups calling for coexistence with Israelis, argued that the cease-fire agreement with Hams lacks any guarantee or follow-up.
According to him, "No one prevents any deceit or exploitation by Israel. The agreement came in response to dissatisfaction and external pressure from Israel's closest allies because they could no longer justify the continuation of this war."
Rajoub also commented on the possibility of the cease-fire’s continuation, saying "Don't call it a 'cease-fire' or any other name. If the four days aren’t a step toward stopping all hostilities and the war in the Strip after all the crimes committed by the occupation, it’s another crime against all Palestinians on their land."
"What happened in recent days in Tulkarm, Jenin, Hebron and Bethlehem is the true goal of the occupation – to bury the Palestinian national identity and resolve the conflict by eliminating the Palestinian issue,” he said, referring to a heavy crackdown by Israeli forces on terrorist elements across West Bank cities since the start of the war.
“Egypt and Jordan, which are the parties most affected by the continuation of the conflict threatening regional and global stability, made similar statements,” he added. “The attack that occurred on October 7 is a natural response to this terror because those who control Israel follow a neo-Nazi model."