Palestinian Authority suppresses criticism of Jenin operation in West Bank

The PA’s ban on Al Jazeera is part of a broader crackdown on those criticising its operation in the Jenin camp.

Beirut, Lebanon – The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) ban on Al Jazeera is part of a broader attempt to silence criticism of its security operation in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, according to activists and analysts.

The ban came almost a month after the PA launched a crackdown on a coalition of armed groups that call themselves the Jenin Brigades.

The groups are affiliated with Palestinian factions such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and even Fatah, the party that controls the PA.

Since early December, the PA has besieged the Jenin camp and cut off water and electricity to most of the inhabitants in an ostensible attempt to restore “law and order” across the West Bank.

However, its indiscriminate tactics in Jenin coincide with a wider attack on free speech, activists and human rights groups told Al Jazeera.