Nine Jenin Al-Aqsa Brigades men renounce amnesty

Maan
Jenin – Nine former fighters with the Fatah-affiliated Al-Aqsa Brigades in Jenin announced on Tuesday that they are withdrawing from an amnesty agreement that would guarantee their safety from the Israeli army.

According to “Abu Ya’qub,” a leader of Al-Aqsa Brigades in the northern West Bank, the men have been waiting for more than a year for Israel to grant them the full amnesty that would see them return to normal life after renouncing violence .....

....The nine have been staying at the Jenin Palestinian Authority (PA) compound in Jenin....

....Commenting on the issue, Jenin PA security commander Radi Asida said, “As national security forces, we are not in charge of making agreements with Israel..... explaining that the Israelis knew well that for three years, “not a single gunshot” was fired from Jenin. The Israelis are nonetheless “haggling” because, he alleged, they want conditions to deteriorate.Israel and the Palestinian Authority initiated the amnesty deals in 2007. Under the agreements, former Palestinian militiamen, mainly Fatah members, agreed to turn in their weapons and spend time in prison, under house arrest, or on probation. In exchange, Israel and the PA promised that they would not be arrested or assassinated. Full story