The Nablus governorate said in a statement the Palestinians were demonstrating against an incursion by Israeli forces into the autonomous Palestinian town of Jenin

September 12, 2001, 11:23 AM
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AFP)

- The Palestinian leadership of Nablus on Wednesday denied that citizens of the West Bank town had celebrated the huge attack on the United States a day earlier. The Nablus governorate said in a statement the Palestinians were demonstrating against an incursion by Israeli forces into the autonomous Palestinian town of Jenin.

"The Nablus governorate completely condemns the most terrible operation" against New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington, it said, expressing its condolences to victims and their relatives.

"We would like to clarify that people in the city of Nablus on Tuesday evening were demonstrating against the Israeli incursion into the city of Jenin and chanting 'God is great' to express their solidarity with their brothers," it said.

It called reports that the rallies were a "celebration of what had happened in the USA ... a complete defamation."

Retired schoolteacher Mustafa Ahlan said: "I don't like the Americans, but I don't think bringing down planes full of civilians is going to help."