Divisions Increase Among Palestinian Factions in Syria
Rifts in Fatah al-Intifada have emerged as support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime ebbs and flows throughout various Palestinian refugee groups in Syria and Lebanon, writes Mohammad Harfoush.
A rift has widened within the Palestinian factions supporting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, following the crisis in Syria and the developments in the Yarmouk refugee camp.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), led by Ahmad Jibril, has seen strong internal disagreement that has caused a split and the subsequent formation of the Free Popular Front. The division was contagious, and shortly thereafter infected the Fatah al-Intifada movement led by Said al-Muragha, also known as Abu Moussa, who died on Jan. 29.
The movement is mired in political and organizational disputes that have produced a wave of resignations by key figures and military groups. A state of high alert is spreading over the movement’s offices in the Lebanese region of Bekaa.
In a significant development of events that reflects the deep internal rifts within Fatah al-Intifada, the command has closed its headquarters in the Ain al-Hilweh camp. It has become a shelter for displaced Palestinians from the Yarmouk camp. This measure stemmed from fear of attacks similar to those conducted against the headquarters of as-Saiqa and of the General Command. The first was used by the Palestinian Follow-Up Committee, and the second served as a shelter for the displaced. Fatah al-Intifada is the third Palestinian faction to shut down its headquarters in the camp.
