IDF on high alert during Palestinian ‘day of rage’ against U.S., Israel

The IDF is on high alert throughout the West bank as Palestinians launch “day of rage” in protest of US administration decisions, particularly US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent announcement that settlements are not inconsistent with international law.

“Days of rage” are marked in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with demonstrations and rallies.

Among the factions that called for Tuesday’s protests is Fatah, whose deputy chairman, Mahmoud al-Aloul, called for stepping up protests against the administration of US President Donald Trump and Israel.

The Palestinian factions have prepared a plan for “field action on all levels to confront the occupation in light of unprecedented [Israeli] violations against our people,” Aloul said.

He strongly condemned the Trump administration and the Israeli government as a “group of gangs perpetrating several crimes against our people.”

The Palestinian leadership, Aloul added, “is headed toward ending all signed agreements with Israel in wake of the continued crimes and violations against our people.” He further called for “changing the status quo in order to protect our national cause and the future of our children.”

The Fatah leader said that in addition to the Palestinian leadership’s diplomatic offensive, Palestinians will carry out “peaceful protests against the occupation and its settlers.”

Senior PLO official Ahmed Majdalani said that the protests will continue throughout the week to voice Palestinians’ “rejection and condemnation of the Israeli-American settlement enterprise that aims to eliminate the Palestinian cause.” Pompeo’s recent announcement concerning the settlements, he said, is completely unacceptable.

“This is a battle for the existence of our people,” Majdalani was quoted by the Palestinian Authority news agency Wafa as saying. “Therefore, all the factions must actively engage in the mass protests.”

Qais Abdel Karim, a senior official with the PLO’s Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), said that the Palestinian factions have unanimously agreed to launch mass protests this week to express anger over the US administration’s policies and decisions toward the Palestinians.

Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, also known as Mubadara, called on Palestinians to “step up popular resistance” and support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and efforts to impose sanctions on Israel.

“Israel is destroying any chance of establishing a Palestinian state and is working to impose a system of apartheid and racial discrimination with the full backing of Trump and Pompeo,” Barghouti charged.

Meanwhile, the PLO Executive Committee also called on Palestinians to step up “popular resistance” and for boycotting Israel.
The committee, whose members met in Ramallah on Saturday to discuss ways of responding to Pompeo’s announcement on the settlements, expressed rejection of the “Zionist and American hostile policy.” It also called on the international community to denounce the announcement and device practical mechanisms to confront and thwart “dangerous” Israeli and US policies and decisions that are designed to “liquidate the Palestinian cause.”

Pompeo’s announcement “disregards all international resolutions and destabilizes security and stability in the region,” the committee said.