Live Update
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, May 15, 2021
Fatah’s Rajoub: No Arab leaders have contacted PA amid escalation
Fatah Secretary-General Jibril Rajoub says no Arab leaders have contacted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas amid the escalation in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
According to the Palestinian Ma’an news agency, Rajoub says in an appeal to such leaders on Palestine TV: “This is an Islamic-Christian battle that defends your dignity… the Palestinian people are in the first line of defense for your dignity, your oil and your security.”
He adds: “From the behavior of part of the official Arab system, we felt that there was collusion with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s behavior to perpetuate the division [among Palestininas].”

Senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, attends by video conference a meeting with deputy Hamas chief Saleh al-Arouri (unseen) discussing Israel’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank, on July 2, 2020. (Abbas Momani/AFP)