The monument in Jenin to terrorist Khaled Nazzal. Photo: Palestinian Media Watch

The ruling Fatah faction of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas has promised to restore a monument in the West Bank city of Jenin to the terrorist who planned a massacre of Israeli schoolchildren in 1974.

The monument, in a square that is also named for Khaled Nazzal – who co-ordinated a Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) terrorist operation in the northern town of Ma’alot, in which Palestinian terrorists murdered 22 schoolchildren and four adults on May 15, 1974 – was removed on Friday by the IDF amid clashes with local Palestinians, some of whom were armed. One soldier suffered moderate wounds after being shot by a protester, while six Palestinians were also injured.

On Saturday, DFLP supporters placed the monument back in its original location. The IDF denied Palestinian reports that it had entered Jenin for a second time to remove it.

“It does not matter how many times the occupation removes the monument in memory of the Martyr – it is our obligation to rebuild it,” Abbas’ Fatah movement declared on Sunday.

Fatah further announced that – as an act of “solidarity” with Jenin – a monument in honor of Nazzal was quickly assembled in Ramallah on Saturday bearing the inscription, “This is a monument in memory of Martyr (Shahid) Khaled Nazzal, which was established as a challenge to the occupation authorities.”

Fatah’s glorification of Nazzal further undermines the pledge reportedly made by Abbas to US President Donald Trump during their meeting at the White House in May to stop incitement.

“Mr. President, I affirm to you that we are raising our youth, our children, our grandchildren on a culture of peace,” Abbas said at the time.