Palestinians attend the funeral of PA critic Nizar Banat in the Middle East News in Hebron

Thousands of Palestinians marched in the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday to attend the funeral of Nizar Banat, a Palestinian Authority (PA) critic who died under the custody of PA forces on Thursday.

Mourners traveled from all over the occupied West Bank to the Banat al-Rasool mosque to attend Banat’s funeral prayers and walked the streets with his family and friends before being buried. Funeral Banat’s body was taken to his family’s home when he began to pay his last respects.

The 43-year-old Banat was scheduled to run in the parliamentary elections before resigning this year. There was strong criticism of the PA, which governs parts of the West Bank occupied by Israel, and called on Western nations to suspend aid because of growing authoritarianism and human rights violations.

The PA receives millions in dollars in foreign aid as it recognizes that the West represents the Palestinian people.

Banat was in bed in his home in Durango, south of Hebron, when about a dozen PA agents broke into his home and began beating him early Thursday morning, according to his family. They were dragged away screaming, local media reported, and beaten on the head with sticks and metal parts.

After the autopsy, a Palestinian rights group said Banat had taken blows to the head, adding to the wounds that signify “unnatural death.”

Since Banat’s death, Palestinians have shared many of his previous writings and videos.

Protests against PA

Videos shared on social media on Friday showed large numbers of people protesting against the PA after Banat’s funeral.

Many shouted “leave, leave Abbas” and “want the people to overthrow the regime” as anger erupted against the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinians will shout “your blood is not in vain” at a funeral held in the occupied Hebron of Nizar Banat.

The PA’s demands for “in-depth research” are in vain. There is no enigma as to how or why Nizar was killed. Abbas must resign. pic.twitter.com/4A9kPvCcMF

– Mohammed El-Kurd (@ m7mdkurd) June 25, 2021

Hundreds of worshipers who went to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem also protested against Banat’s murder.

Hundreds of Palestinians protest the death of Nizar Banat in the courtyard of Al Aqsa and the departure of PA President Abbas. pic.twitter.com/rOvLrmM7Hb

– Alaa Daraghme (laAlaaDaraghme) June 25, 2021

A few hours after Banat’s death on Thursday, a large number of Palestinians took to the streets in the West Bank city of Ramallah to protest his killing, but were found with sticks and tear gas fired by PA forces wearing riot gear.

“The people want the regime to collapse,” protesters shouted in the city’s main Al-Manara square, while others shouted “traitors, traitors” to security forces.

Mention the critic

Banat was a supporter of free speech and a clear critic of the PA’s corruption and security coordination with the Israeli army. He was known for posting his opinion on social media, as more than 100,000 people followed his Facebook page.

He accused important Fatah supporters of campaigning against him after he was accused of collaborating with Israel – a serious allegation of treason. He denied the allegation.

PA forces have accused him of torturing political dissidents inside his prison.

Banata was a former member of the Fatah movement, a de facto PA governing party. In the legislative elections held in early May, Banat campaigned as a candidate for the Freedom and Dignity party.

In April, Abbas canceled the election, the first to be held in 15 years, apparently because Israel would not allow the occupied Palestinians in East Jerusalem to vote for the new Palestinian leadership. East Jerusalem is seen as the capital of the future Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution.

Many have argued, however, that the real reason was Abbas’s fear that the broken Fatah party against Hamas, the group that rules the New Gaza, would suffer a humiliating defeat.

The latest poll showed tremendous support for Abbas, who is losing popularity and growing opposition to his party.

Western nations continue to see Abbas as a key partner in the long-running peace process, and the European Union (EU) has given hundreds of millions of dollars to the PA over the years.

Repression

According to his family, Banat was held prisoner eight times by PA for several months.

In early May, gunmen fired bullets, stabbed grenades and tear gas at Banat’s home, while his wife was with their children. No one was injured in the incident.

He blamed the attack on Fatah, which is dominated by security forces.

“Europeans need to know that they are indirectly funding this organization,” Banat told The Associated Press in an interview in a hiding place in May.

“During Fatah celebrations, guns are fired into the air, Fatah leaders are shot when they fight against each other, and people who are against Fatah are shot.”

Last November, the EU denounced Banat’s arrest at the time after publishing a video criticizing Palestinian politicians.

On Thursday, United Nations Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland tweeted that he was “alarmed and saddened” by Banat’s death.