Commander of the Palestinian Authority’s national security forces on Sunday announced disciplinary actions against nine security officers, including five high-ranking officers, who were involved in an attack on Palestinian civilians during a protest on Friday.
Nidal Abu Dukhan said disciplinary actions were decided on after a fact-finding mission submitted its report on the incident to Abu Dukhan's office.
The attack in question was caught on camera by online news source Middle East Eye, revealing a large group of PA security officers violently attacking three teenage boys with clubs on Friday and forcibly dispersing a peaceful rally near Azza refugee camp in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, which was held in support of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
The video of the attack, which spread rapidly on social media, sparked uproar among residents against the excessive use of force by PA security on its own citizens.
Following the incident Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah reportedly appointed a committee headed by the governor of Bethlehem Jibrin al-Bakri to investigate the event, while Abu Dukhan created a separate special investigative committee.
In a statement, received by Ma’an, Abu Dukhan said as an outcome of the investigations, Col. Issam Nabhan, the deputy commander of Bethlehem district, Lt. Col. Shahir al-Qaisi the deputy director of operations, Maj. Mahmoud Abu Mues the commander of the sixth brigade, and Capt. Samih Yousif were all placed into provisional retirement.
Five other lower ranking officers were sent to disciplinary jail for three months and have been forbidden promotion for one year.
The statement identified the five as Staff Sgt. Alaa Basim Samoudi, Staff Sgt. Ribhi Muayyad Hanoun, Sgt. Izziddin Misbah Ibrahim and Cpl. Muath Zuhdi Abid.
PA security collaboration with Israel
Friday's incidents comes as Palestinians and political factions have criticized the PA for continuing security coordination with Israeli authorities.
PA and Israeli security forces have worked in coordination since the Oslo Accords in 1993, which planned for a gradual power transfer of the occupied West Bank from Israeli forces to the PA over the next five years.
Over 10 years on critics frequently accuse the PA of aligning with and carrying out Israel's interests and goals in the occupied West Bank.
Disproportionate use of force by PA security forces as well as lack of effective due process by Palestinian legal bodies has been reported by Palestinians in the past.
A spokesman for the PA's security forces, Adnan Dmeiri, told Ma'an that in areas under full Palestinian control — Area A according to Oslo Accords — Palestinian security officers are instructed to prevent Palestinians from approaching so-called seam zones “to protect them from Israeli occupation forces,” but the spokesperson did not elaborate on coordination with Israeli forces.
The PA security spokesperson told Ma'an that justice would be reached for the teenager who was violently beaten on Friday, citing that in 2014 PA security officers were punished by imprisonment and disciplinary service after they were found guilty of using violence against Palestinian citizens.
The Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) confirmed that “excessive force” had been used against protesters Friday.
“It was an evident use of excessive force against a peaceful gathering during which participants were attacked with stun grenades and rods,” director of the group’s office in the southern West Bank Farid al-Atrash told Ma’an.
He urged the PA to investigate the attacks and is currently collecting complaints from those who were attacked during the rally.
“As a Palestinian, I say that the president should immediately apologize to our people in the Azza Refugee Camp and should give orders to call to account those who gave the orders.”
"This shameful farce must be stopped," added al-Atrash.
