Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Hamas and Fatah Both Deny Affiliation to Palestinian Hezbollah | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Ramallah, Asharq Al-Awsat – The Fatah-affiliated Al-Aqsa Brigades in the Gaza Strip has denied any connection with the Palestinian Hezbollah which announced itself in a statement whose validity could not be confirmed.

The argument regarding who is behind the group continues, as authoritative sources in Hamas said the [Palestinian] Authority was behind these formations to embarrass Hamas, Fatah sources said Hamas was probably behind this group and the purpose is to pressure the world to deal with it lest other extremist organizations and movements might emerge like this Palestinian Hezbollah and Al-Ummah Army.

Other sources in Hamas told Asharq Al-Awsat that they were checking whether groups affiliated to Muhammad Dahlan, the leader in the Fatah movement, were behind the announcement of the new organization. Abu-al-Walid, one of the leaders of Al-Aqsa Brigades, Fatah’s military wing, told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The brigades have no connection with or know anything about this organization.” He stressed that “the brigades have one name only and all other names have nothing to do with it. The delay in holding the movement’s sixth conference is the reason for all these formations because there is nothing that unites Fatah.” But sources in Fatah said groups in the movement calling themselves the Imad Mughniyeh groups (Hezbollah’s military commander who was assassinated in Damascus) were probably behind this faction.

According to these sources, the Palestinian Hezbollah is led by a person who has close ties with Iran, traveled to it several time, underwent training, and is financed by Iran. Asharq al-Awsat tried to contact this person but was unable because his cell phone was switched off.

Other than the statement issued by the Palestinian Hezbollah and statements attributed to its spokesman on a website affiliated with Fatah, no other statements have been issued by it.