Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called Israel's raid on Jericho jail an "unforgivable crime." Abbas cut short a European trip and called the raid "an insult to the Palestinian people" as he toured the demolished complex.
According to the AP, Abbas suggested there was close coordination between British and American inspectors at the prison and Israeli forces. Pressed to elaborate, he said: "I'm giving the facts. They (the inspectors) left at 9:20 a.m., and the Israelis came in at 9:30 a.m. How can we explain that?"
Closure
Israeli authorities announced on Wednesday that a full closure of the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be imposed until Saturday night as a result of heightened tensions following the Israeli siege of Jericho's jail on Tuesday.
The closure was expected to lift on Wednesday, though fears of Palestinian reprisals following Tuesday's Jericho operation led Israeli authorities to extend the closure. Israeli security forces were also put on high alert Wednesday in anticipation of attacks.
On Tuesday, Israeli occupation soldiers laid siege to the Jericho jail, capturing Ahmed Sa'adat, leader of the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine, who is accused of having ordered the assassination of Israel's cabinet minister, Rehavam Ze'evi, in 2001.
The PFLP threatened that "Israel will pay a heavy price for the operation."
Additionally, all Palestinian factions on called for a general strike in response to the Israeli attack, calling on all Palestinian school and business establishments to remain closed in protest.
UNSC
The United Nations Security Council will convene Wednesday to hear a second draft presidential statement submitted by Qatar condemning Israel for Tuesday's siege of the Jericho prison. On Tuesday night, the council issued a statement seeking the release of foreigners kidnapped in retaliation for the Israeli siege.
Representing Arab nations on the council and backed by the Palestinian government, Qatar distributed the first draft presidential statement calling on Israel to end its "continued onslaught" against the Palestinian-run prison. The Qatar draft also demands that Israel return the prisoners it seized "and to return the situation to that which existed prior to the Israeli military attack."
The US opposed the Qatari proposal and thus the council issued a statement which voiced concern about an upsurge in violence, urging all sides to exercise restraint, and called for the release of the foreigners abducted.
Gunmen seized at least 10 foreigners, and after nightfall, three were still in captivity - two French citizens and a South Korean reporter. South Korea asked for help Wednesday from both Israel and the Palestinian Authority in securing the release of Yong Tae-young, a journalist kidnapped the day before.
Many other Palestinian reprisals were aimed at western establishments, including the British Council in the Gaza Strip and other offices linked to the U.S. and Britain. The Red Cross asked all its foreign staff to leave the Palestinian Territories as a result.
Gunmen also attacked the offices of AMIDEAST, an American organization providing educational services to Palestinians.
"We don't want to see any Americans here!" one of the gunmen yelled outside AMIDEAST offices. Others chanted, "Death to the Americans, death to the British."
Israeli raid comes half hour after departure of British monitors
The Israeli raid came approximately one half hour after British monitors responsible for guarding the Jericho prison under a rare arrangement left the premises.
The departure of the guards was reportedly not connected to the imminent Israeli raid, but due to fear for their safety as security measures falling under the responsibility of the PA were not met, said to British and American sources.
"The Palestinian Authority has never fully complied with the basic provisions of the agreement that established the US and UK Jericho Monitoring Mission," read a letter published in The New York Times to President Abbas from British and American Consul representatives on March 8.
"The Palestinian Authority has failed to provide secure conditions for US and UK personnel working in the Jericho prison…the pending handover of government power to a political party that has repeatedly called for the release of the Jericho detainees also calls into question the political sustainability of the Jericho mission."
"If the Palestinian Authority would like the US and the UK to continue their involvement with the monitoring mission, conditions at the Jericho prison must be brought into full compliance with the Jericho monitoring arrangements."
The US has denied any cooperation with Israel in the matter.
Israel claims that it was forced to seize the prisoners, and apparently took the opportunity of the British departure, since it had reason to believe that Sa'adat, recently elected to the Palestinian legislature in January's election, would be released from prison.
Hamas has released several Palestinian prisoners in recent weeks while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recently stated that he did not oppose the release of Sa'adat.
Israeli raid a blow for Abbas
The president found himself under increasing public pressure in recent weeks to release the PFLP leader considering the Sa'adat's election victory.
Meanwhile on Wednesday, sources in the Palestinian Authority accused Israel of attempting to weaken Abbas, knowing full well prior to Tuesday's raid that undertaking the operation would be a severe blow to his standing amongst Palestinians.
"Israel knew that this operation will harm Abbas' stance and in actuality it will weaken him further. Some Palestinian voices partially blaming him for what happened have already been heard," the source said, according to Ynet.
