Editors Note: In our previous newsletter, we published two companion articles for our readers. The first examined the potential for civil conflict across several countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The second focused specifically on the growing risk of civil war in Gaza. JaFaJ will continue using this companion-article approach to provide readers with broader regional context alongside focused country analyses. The following article builds upon those earlier assessments and examines subsequent developments relevant to our ongoing coverage of the MENA region.
1. Summary: Palestinian Authority security services conducted coordinated raids targeting fuel stations and offices owned by Hebron businessman Tareq Al-Natsheh. While PA-affiliated media framed the operation as regulatory enforcement, the timing, scale, and units involved point to a political decision made at the highest levels in Ramallah. According to a well-connected Palestinian businessman interviewed by JAFJA — who participated in discussions around the 2019 Bahrain Peace Workshop and engaged directly with senior U.S. officials including then-White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner — this was not a routine law-enforcement action. It was a calculated move in an intensifying internal struggle between competing Fatah-PA power centers ahead of expected legislative elections. The reported involvement of Palestinian Military Intelligence in the crackdown strongly indicates direct approval from the presidential office. Based on current indicators, this operation marks the opening phase of open infighting among senior Fatah figures and is unlikely to be the last.
2. PA security forces carried out overnight coordinated raids on multiple “Al-Huda” fuel stations in Ramallah, Al-Bireh, Jericho and Beit Ur owned by Tareq Al-Natsheh. Al-Natsheh controls approximately 28 stations across the West Bank and is one of the dominant actors in the sector. Units involved: Preventive Security, Military Intelligence, and Customs Police. Seized: surveillance systems, files, electronic equipment, and fuel stocks. Several employees, including accountants, were detained for questioning then released. PA media reported no arrest warrant had been issued for Al-Natsheh at the time and that he remained in Beit Ur.
3. Al-Natsheh’s offices and facilities sustained extensive damage: furniture destroyed, filing cabinets broken into, personal items including family photos targeted. In a public statement, Al-Natsheh said he instructed supporters to avoid public confrontation to prevent escalation and preserve the “social fabric.”
4. The operation comes amid acute speculation over motive. Two narratives dominate: A. A technical dispute over PA debts to fuel suppliers. B. A political purge tied to internal Fatah alignment ahead of legislative elections. Al-Natsheh is widely understood to maintain close ties to senior Fatah and security figures including Jibril Rajoub and Zakaria Musleh. The timing, just as consultations on electoral lists begin, reinforces the assessment that this is a political signal, not just a financial case.
5. Separately, the Union of Fuel Station Owners reports PA institutions owe suppliers over 70 million shekels. The union warned continued non-payment will force stations to halt fuel to government and security vehicles. Rising fuel prices have worsened liquidity across the sector. The financial dispute is real, but it is being leveraged as cover for political targeting.
6. JAFJA interviewed a prominent Hebron businessman with direct regional political and commercial access. The source attended Bahrain Peace Workshop discussions in 2019 and dealt with senior U.S. officials at the time, including Jared Kushner. Assessment: The raid was ordered for political reasons. The deployment of Military Intelligence confirms senior sign-off from Ramallah. This is the start of a factional confrontation inside Fatah and the PA, and more actions of this type should be expected as succession jockeying accelerates.
7. The Al-Natsheh raids are a political operation disguised as regulatory enforcement. They reflect deepening rivalry inside the PA and Fatah, with Military Intelligence’s role confirming top-level authorization. Expect further targeting of business and security figures aligned with rival camps in the coming weeks.