Palestinian news group stops printing Hamas papers
Al-Ayyam in the West Bank started printing titles in April after unification deal, ceases after Israeli intervention
RAMALLAH — A Palestinian newspaper group said Thursday that it had stopped printing titles run by Islamist group Hamas after receiving a series of warnings from the Israeli army.
The Al-Ayyam newspaper group, which is based in the West Bank, has stopped printing and distributing Hamas newspapers Falastin, Al-Resala and Al-Istiqlal, its managing editor Abdel Nasser al-Najjar told AFP.
The decision followed a phone call late Wednesday from the Israeli army, threatening to close Al-Ayyam’s offices if it did not stop publishing the papers, he said.
The army had no immediate comment.
Israeli soldiers raided Al-Ayyam’s offices last month and issued similar threats.
Al-Ayyam has been printing the three papers since April, when a surprise reconciliation deal between the Hamas rulers of Gaza and its Fatah rivals brought the Islamist group’s publications back to West Bank newsstands.
In April, Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organization — which Fatah dominates — unveiled a reconciliation deal under which they formed a merged administration for the West Bank and Gaza last week for the first time in seven years.
Israel, in response, said it would not negotiate with any Palestinian government backed by Hamas, putting the final nail in the coffin of the latest round of US-brokered peace talks.
The Times of Israel Community.