Although Israeli-Palestinian Authority (PA) coordination channels have been officially severed, the two sides still maintain a coordination routine even without direct meetings, TPS has learned.
A PA official told TPS that coordination takes place “by virtue of the habit” and “on automatic,” and especially informally at the lower echelons, taking advantage of the relationship created between Israelis and the PA in local coordination channels.
For now, all permits held by PA residents are considered valid by Israel, including the BMC certificates that give businessmen the right of entry into Israel.
On Sunday, the traffic of workers from the PA into Israel resumed through the crossings after a long period when the crossings were closed. 63,000 entered Israel, including 40,000 construction workers and another 5,000 agricultural workers.
Alongside the coordination routine, one of Fatah’s senior officials, Hassan Hamil, stated Sunday night that “coordination with Israel no longer exists and that any questions concerning it or that question the Palestinian Authority’s seriousness are misplaced.”
The Palestinian Authority’s Mayors’ Association of issued a statement Sunday night about its commitment to act in accordance with the PA’s directives and that it has refused inquiries from Israeli entities on various matters.
PA officials say that, in the meantime, no events have put the PA’s decision to the test in a serious way, but a series of civil matters require resolution, especially coordination in health, trade and permits.
The PA is aware of the intensification of violent incidents in its territory, including murders and clashes between clans, which requires a response in the field of security coordination.