Life returned to normal in Nablus on Wednesday after several Palestinian factions said that they had reached an agreement to end the violence in the city.
Clashes erupted on Monday night after the Palestinian Authority security forces arrested Hamas members Musab Shtayyeh and Ameed Tleibeh.
Shtayyeh, 30, has been described as one of the commanders of Hamas’s Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades.
Shtayyeh’s father welcomed the agreement and repeated his call for the release of his son whom he said had gone on hunger strike in the PA’s Jericho Prison.
Shortly after the arrest, Palestinian gunmen and protesters took to the streets and clashed with PA security forces. One Palestinian was killed and more than 55 injured in the skirmishes that continued until late Tuesday.
The agreement to end the violence was reached during a meeting of representatives of several factions with senior PA officials in the Old City of Nablus.
According to the agreement, efforts will be made to end the case of Shtayyeh “in a satisfactory manner.”
Palestinian Authority must stop its crackdown
A committee consisting of representatives of various Palestinian institutions will visit the detainee in prison to examine his condition and set a timeline for his release.
The agreement requires the PA to stop its security crackdown on Palestinians who are wanted by Israel unless they are in violation of Palestinian law.
Under the terms of the agreement, the PA will release Palestinians who were arrested in the previous 48 hours for their involvement in the violence. Those who were involved in theft and attacks on private properties will not be released.
Palestinian sources said that PA Minister of Interior Ziad Hab al-Reeh, Nablus Governor Ibahim Ramadan and the commanders of the Palestinian security forces played a significant role in reaching the “truce” agreement.
A senior PA official accused Hamas on Wednesday of incitement against the PA leadership and its security forces. The official said that Hamas was trying to stage a coup against the PA similar to the one it carried out in the Gaza Strip in 2007.
A statement issued by the ruling Fatah faction headed by PA President Mahmoud Abbas warned Israel and Hamas against incitement against the Palestinian security establishment. The statement said that Fatah will not allow Hamas and Israel “to carry out their schemes of sedition and internecine fighting.”
Workers belonging to the Nablus Municipality were seen cleaning and opening roads that had been blocked with tires and stones during the violent clashes.