Fatah gunmen shoot up Al-Jazeera studio in Nablus

The attack came shortly after Al-Jazeera interviewed Abdel Sattar Kassem, a local academic and staunch critic of the Palestinian Authority.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
Fatah supporters 311 (photo credit: AP)
Fatah supporters 311
(photo credit: AP)
Fatah gunmen on Wednesday attacked studios used by Al-Jazeera in Nablus, sources in the city told The Jerusalem Post.
The sources said that four or five gunmen stormed the studios of the Pal Media production company that are sometimes used by Al-Jazeera.
The assailants destroyed a computer, a camera, a fax machine and a window, the sources said.
No one was hurt in the attack, which came shortly after Al-Jazeera interviewed Abdel Sattar Kassem, a local academic and staunch critic of the Palestinian Authority.
Kassem was not in the studios when the Fatah gunmen arrived, a worker for the company said.
The attack is believed to be linked to Al- Jazeera’s “Palestine Papers” revelations, which have seriously embarrassed the PA leadership.
PA officials have accused Al-Jazeera of declaring war on their leaders.
Earlier this week, dozens of angry Fatah activists attacked the offices of the news channel in Ramallah, but were driven back by PA policemen. The attackers sprayed graffiti at the entrance to the offices and accused the station of collaboration with Israel.