Palestinian forces raid Balata refugee camp in Nablus

Up to 2,000 members of Palestinian Authority security forces stormed the Balata refugee camp of Nablus, Friday, reporting they had come to make arrests. They were greeted with massive gunfire and withdrew after four hours without detaining anyone. There are unofficial reports of casualties in this Palestinian versus Palestinian confrontation.  Nablus has become a hub of Palestinian West Bank defiance against the PA authorities headed by Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. Local disturbances have been staged recently in demand for the released of jailed men. The PA has reacted with a crackdown and arrests.Balata with 25,000 inmates is the largest refugee camp on the West Bank.