Palestinian Authority Kills Dissident in Custody // FAI ONLINE

The circumstances of the death of activist Nizar Banat in Palestinian Authority custody spark protests in the West Bank.

Early Thursday morning, at 3AM, activist Nizar Banat’s house was raided. He was severely beaten, and arrested by Palestinian Security forces. The next day, June 25, Banat died in detention. His death set off extreme anger in the West Bank, with thousands marching on the streets of Hebron at his funeral, chanting, “Down with the regime! Down with Abbas!” Protests also occurred at Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, and Ramallah, flying the flags of Hamas.

Banat, a one-time member of the the Fatah party, the current leading party of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, was now one of the Fatah party’s severest critics. Banat accused Fatah of being a personality cult of Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, as well as being corrupt and cooperative with Israel. He had been subject to several arrests and long detentions for his oppositional views. When Abbas canceled the elections that were supposed to take place in April, Banat been running as a candidate on an independent list. He sharply criticized Abbas for cancelling the elections, and a few days later, his house and family were subject to gunfire.

Banat was not the only activist to be arrested in the aftermath of the 11-day battle between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. PA security forces also arrested dozens of others, including Issa Amro, another prominent activist from Hebron, for statements accusing the West Bank leadership of corruption.

Many believe that the April elections were canceled in the West Bank were due to the Fatah party’s concern that Hamas was growing influence and popularity in the West Bank, and that Fatah would lose elections to the internationally recognized terrorist organization Hamas that currently rules Gaza. After the recent Israel-Gaza conflict, this is an even stronger possibility. However, as Fatah tries to solidify its hold on power by arresting opposition, they have only further weakened their position and increased the likelihood of a Hamas power grab.

We would ask the global Maranatha family to continue in prayer with us for the people living in the West Bank, particularly the Palestinians under the leadership of Fatah, that they would experience justice. Pray that the power and influence of Hamas would be restrained, and that fair elections would be able to take place soon where candidates that care for the welfare of the people would be elected. Pray for wisdom for the Israeli government, as a nightmare scenario would be for Hamas to control both Gaza and the West Bank. Pray for comfort for the family of Nizar Banat. Pray that the name of the Lord would be lifted up in the West Bank, and that the word of the Lord would be glorified among the those living there.

Maranatha.