Ma'an – More than 300 members of the Palestinian security services were deployed to Nablus on Friday morning in an attempt to ease tensions in the volatile city. On a brief visit to the city Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said in a speech that the deployment would bring about greater security in Nablus. General Intelligence Chief Major General Tawfiq Tirawi told Ma'an that the Palestinian security services were ready and prepared to implement complete security in Nablus and other cities under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority (PA). However statements have been made by some Israeli army generals that Israel will continue to control the city between the hours of 12 midnight until 6am.Tirawi told Ma'an that if Israel does not allow the Palestinian security forces full control of the area they are deliberately undermining the PA. He added that this was an excuse for the continued Israeli refusal to fully withdraw from the whole of the West Bank on the pretext that the PA was not able to maintain security.
Nablus Governor Jamal Muhaysin said that the Israelis had refused a request not to enter Nablus during the night. Head of the Palestinian Intelligence Services in Nablus, Abu Jihad, said he doubted whether the Israelis would be satisfied with the new Palestinian security services implemented in Nablus.
The Palestinian security services are facing a complex situation in Nablus. There are still 37 members of the Palestinian resistance being hunted by Israeli forces within the city. Israeli media described the deployment of the Palestinian security services in Nablus as a "gesture of good faith" on the part of Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. But Israeli army generals were quick to add that the responsibility for the security of the city was still in the hands of the Israeli army and Palestinian security officers were only responsible for public order.