Al-Aqsa: Report on kidnapping soldier false
Group belonging to Fatah’s military wing claims it snatched soldier in West Bank, but senior organization members say they are unaware of kidnapping, estimate report was made in light of internal competition between Palestinian organizations
The group sent a message to several media outlets, but did not provide any evidence to back its claim.
Senior al-Aqsa members told Ynet that they were unaware of a soldier being abducted by the organization and that the report was apparently false. The Israel Defense Forces is looking into the report.
Senior al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades members estimated that the report was false, saying that it may have been part of the internal competition between Palestinian organization.
A senior al-Aqsa commander said: “There are people here who are unable to digest the success of the Hamas movement and the Popular Resistance Committees, which carried out the abduction in Kerem Shalom, and feel a sort of organizational envy that they are not part of this success.”
IDF officials said that the Palestinian claim was being checked, but so far there has been no official confirmation or evidence that a soldier has been kidnapped in the West Bank.
'Our people are frustrated'
The senior commander added that al-Aqsa members recently claimed responsibility for mock kidnappings due to frustration among the activists following the abduction and murder of teen settler Eliyahu Asheri.
He explained that one of the kidnappers was an al-Aqsa member who collaborated with the PRC after realizing that his organization is afraid of carrying out such an operation due to the expected pressures by security organizations following its implementation.
“Our people are frustrated because organizations constraints and the affiliation to Fatah have prevented them from taking part in the abduction. This is the only reason for the recent reports, which are aimed at bringing al-Aqsa back to business in terms of the public opinion, as well as creating confusion among the Israelis,” the commander explained.
The source added that the fact that many al-Aqsa members are also part of the Palestinian security organizations, which helped Israel in locating Asheri’s body, constitutes another problem for the organization.
“It explains why an abduction initiated by al-Aqsa could not have succeeded. Many in the organization are in fact wearing two hats, and this could thwart any abduction and any other resistance operation,” he said.
Efrat Weiss contributed to the report
