Rhino: Agencies – The Palestinian Authority (PA) has clashed with the Al Jazeera television channel over its coverage of the weeks-long confrontation between Palestinian security forces and militants from two Islamist movements in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

The Fatah movement, which controls the Palestinian Authority, denounced the Qatar-based channel for its extensive reporting on the clashes in Jenin.

The movement said: “Given the dangerous role played by Al-Jazeera in our Arab homeland in general and in Palestine in particular, from spreading sedition and inciting infighting in a clear intersection with Zionist-American endeavors and agendas hostile to the causes of our Arab nation in general and our Palestinian cause in particular, it was decided to prevent Al-Jazeera from entering the Tubas governorate.” Fatah called on Palestinians not to cooperate with Al Jazeera.

Palestinian Authority forces, which exercise limited autonomy in the West Bank, entered Jenin in early December and clashed daily with militants from the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Islamic Jihad.
Al Jazeera said it presents both sides fairly in its coverage.”