Fatah's military wing says former leader living in UAE is planning coup

Fatah’s military wing, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, has claimed that former leader Mohammed Dahlan is planning to topple both Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank and the Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip.

A statement, purportedly attributed to the Brigades, describes the details of the plan: “It starts with the formation of a secret leadership council led by Dahlan with three members from Gaza, four from the West Bank and others from Jerusalem.”

The second step, according to the statement, is “forming a leadership council for the security apparatuses and another council for an emergency government that includes youth leaders.”

In addition, the statement says that Dahlan, who is currently living in the UAE, is to form a leadership brigade to take over the security services and government offices once the implementation of the plan has started.

Dahlan’s affiliates, the statement claims, are to start making preparations for the plan by scanning the opinions of members of the security services towards the dismissed leader, assessing whether or not they would agree to his return.

According to the plan, there would be two starting points: one in Al-Areesh and the other in Jordan. The implementation of the plan would be accompanied by a tightening of the siege on Gaza by Israel and Egypt, including a military operation starting in the south of Gaza and ending in the north.

Regarding what to do with Abbas, the statement indicates that he is going to start an international tour soon, thus during this time the revolution would start and the rebels would then ask for him not to return home. At the same time, Dahlan’s affiliates would have control of Palestine TV and start broadcasting national songs, waiting for a revolutionary statement.

By the end of the plan, Dahlan would have full control of the security services and government offices, and announce an emergency government headed by him.

In response to this plan, Al-Aqsa Brigades has called for the leadership in Egypt and other Arab countries to officially deal only with Abbas and his authorities in the West Bank, as well as to stop supporting Dahlan’s coup plans.