The Israeli army blocked on Monday the arrival of protesters to the Palestinian city of Jericho in the Jordan Valley.
The Palestinian Authority organized there a rally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank.
Buses transferring thousands of protesters from all the West Bank governorates to participate in the rally took off to Jericho on Monday afternoon.
The rally was attended by members of Fatah Movement’s Central Committee, ministers, faction leaders, and dozens of national and prominent figures, as well as representatives of the international community, led by United Nations peace envoy for the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov and the European Union's representative, Sven Kuehn von Burgsdorff.
British, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, and Jordanian diplomats were also present.
Fatah accused Israel of blocking the demonstrators' arrival by deploying roadblocks along the roads to Jericho and the Jordan Valley.
Israeli occupation forces detained dozens of buses carrying citizens heading to Jericho, the Palestinian official news agency reported, adding that these forces blocked Hamra and Maale Efraim checkpoints.
According to Head of Fatah’s Information Department Munir al-Jaghoub, the movement will organize a rally at every occupation checkpoint in the West Bank.
Member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Executive Committee Wasel Abu Yousef said that participating in the rally is necessary and significant, as it sends a message to the world about Palestinians’ rejection of the plan.
Similar events will continue to take place as part of a program to heighten popular resistance in contact areas and checkpoints, Abu Yousef added.
He pointed out that the government will also hold on Wednesday a meeting in al-Jiftlik village in the Jericho Governorate in the West Bank to discuss the annexation plan and means of confronting it, noting that the meeting will be attended by PLO members and Palestinian factions.
PLO’s Executive Committee will also hold a meeting on Wednesday in Ramallah, chaired by President Mahmoud Abbas, to discuss means of responding to the occupation plots and international moves.
Meanwhile, PA Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh said the Authority will not allow escalation into violent confrontations with Israel.
But, he warned that once Israel actually annexes parts of the West Bank, the PA would collapse, and Israel will have to assume its security, health, and educational responsibilities as an occupying power.
