On Friday, a Hamas leader and former deputy prime minister, Nasser al-Din al-Shaer, sustained moderate injuries after he was shot by gunmen at one of the entrances to the village of Kafr Qalil, Nablus district, in the northern West Bank.

Palestinian police spokesman Colonel Louay Rzeigat said in a statement that Al-Shaer was wounded after being shot by unknown assailants in Nablus.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the shooting incident and ordered the security services to immediately investigate and arrest the perpetrators.

The spokesman for the security services, Major General Talal Dwaikat, said that the Palestinian security services began implementing the instructions of President Mahmoud Abbas, regarding the shooting incident.

"Assassination attempt"

The head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, condemned the "assassination attempt" against the poet, calling on "the Palestinian Authority and Abu Mazen personally to quickly reveal those involved in this case and prosecute them," according to the movement's official website.

Haniyeh warned of the danger of this "criminal behavior that is a great national affliction," stressing that this method "does not silence free voices, and leads to difficult results on our internal Palestinian reality," as he described it.

Hamas confirmed in a statement that "this crime, which comes a few weeks after Dr. Al-Shaer was attacked by the security of the former An-Najah University in mid-June, requires his protection and the protection of all national figures."

In turn, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine considered the matter a "sinful attack" and condemned the "cowardly assassination attempt" against the academic at An-Najah National University, according to a statement posted on its website.

In this context, the Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, denounced the attack on the poet and demanded the arrest and accountability of the perpetrators.

The National Initiative condemns the criminal attack on Dr. #Nasir_al-Din_Al-Shaer and demands the arrest and accountability of its perpetrators pic.twitter.com/0bEja3CPKT

— Mustafa Barghouti @Mustafa_Barghouti (@MustafaBarghou1) July 23, 2022

Fatah condemns

For its part, the Palestinian National Liberation Movement "Fatah" condemned the shooting of the poet.

In a statement issued by the movement, the movement considered that "this incident is outside the customs, traditions and morals of our people."

The Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hussein Al-Sheikh, said, in a statement issued by him: "We strongly condemn the shooting of brother Nasser Al-Din Al-Shaer, and we consider it a criminal act that is not befitting our national morals, and the perpetrators must be held accountable."

We strongly condemn the shooting of Nasser Al-Din Al-Shaer, and we consider it a criminal act that doesnt live up to our national morals, and the perpetrators must be held accountable.

We wish a speedy recovery to Dr.

Nasser.

https://t.co/ISQKj9kYG8

— Hussein Al Sheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) July 22, 2022

And local sources told Anadolu Agency that the poet was on a social occasion in the village of "Kafr Qalil", south of Nablus, when his car was targeted by unknown fire.

The sources added that the shooting resulted in several bullet wounds to the poet, who was subsequently transferred for treatment at the Rafidia Governmental Hospital in Nablus.

Lecturer at the Faculty of Sharia

For its part, An-Najah National University condemned the shooting of the poet, who lectures at its Sharia College.

The university's administration called on the security services to expedite the legal action against the perpetrators.

In this context, a number of unions and entities denounced the attack, and demanded an investigation into the incident.

The poet is a prisoner, editor and leader in the Hamas movement in the West Bank, and he previously held the position of Deputy Palestinian Prime Minister, between 2006-2007.