Screenshot from video shared on Twitter showing thousands march in Nizar's funeral demanding the “Downfall of the regime”. At dawn on Thursday, June 24, 25 members of the Palestinian Authority Preventive Security stormed the home of Nizar Banat in the city of Hebron. They blew up the door of his house, attacked him while he was asleep, beat him, sprayed him with pepper spray, and dragged him naked to their offices. A few hours later, they announced his death. Palestinians, who are still resisting displacement and ethnic cleansing in Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan and Beita, woke up to the tragedy of losing one of the voices most critical of the Palestinian Authority's policies, this time at the hands of Palestinian security. Nizar, 43, became famous for his Facebook videos criticizing the corruption of the Palestinian Authority (PA). He planned to run for the legislative elections that were canceled earlier this year. He was known for his stinging statements against officials of the Fatah movement and the PA, the latter for its handling of COVID-19 and its position on the events of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhood and the aggression against Gaza. Days before his murder, Nizar posted a video criticizing the nearly finalized deal for expired vaccines between the PA and Israel. The deal was canceled after word spread, drawing widespread criticism locally and internationally. After the security forces’ assault on him, Nizar — as if sensing his imminent death — published what seemed like a farewell note on his Facebook page: So this is the end! The end of a word, and an alleged freedom. I leave you as I lie on the ground, covered by the sky, asleep, fleeing in search of a home for my word and my freedom, for a foothold to establish the freedom of the sacred Palestinian opinion. I don't know what caused their hatred. They attacked and beat me before I could count them. With an iron crowbar, three cans of pepper spray, hundreds of hits with batons and (Palestinian) rifle butts. I leave you, satisfied with myself. I leave you and I haven't stolen a penny. I leave you and I have not sold a meter to the Jews. I leave you and my freedom with me is complete, and undiminished. In the end, I do not know who made the decision to kill me, but I am heading to the judge of earth and heaven. I don't know for which file was I killed. The vaccine file, or the file of the assassination of activists who preceded me, or your rampant corruption… and your issue are many.. I leave you and in your hands are all the reasons for my murder, murdering my voice, my ambition, and my opinion. If my body leaves you, do not let my voice die. Let today be the beginning of Nizar Banat, not the end. And may God bear witness that each word I uttered was for my children to live with dignity. » Once word of his assassination spread, social media was flooded with people denouncing the incident, and calls for demonstrations circulated in various Palestinian cities. Nizar's name echoed through Palestine. South of Nablus, in the village of Beita, people chanted “Nizar” while resisting displacement and eviction. The people of Umm al-Fahm organized a prayer for Nizar's soul, stressing the unity of Palestinian blood, and accusing the PA of clientism and being another face of the occupation. Journalist Ali Obeidat asked a question on Facebook about the of impact this crime — in which a Palestinian was killed by another Palestinian — on the global solidarity that the Palestinian cause has gained over the past months. How will you convince tens of thousands of supporters of the Palestinian cause, who rallied and stood at the forefront of defending our cause in Jerusalem, Beita and Beit Dajan, that the gas stinging the eyes of people in Ramallah was fired by a Palestinian, that the batons striking people's heads and backs are Palestinian, and that the blood spilled is that of a Palestinian by a Palestinian? And before all that, how will they understand that the free voice of Nizar Banat was forever silenced by Palestinian hands? The authority insists on destroying everything that is built popularly!! Within hours of the incident, the Palestinian prime minister ordered the formation of an investigation committee to look into Nizar's killing, which drew widespread condemnation among Palestinian activists, who dismissed it as another “killing tool.” “لجنة التحقيق” هي جزء من أدوات القتل، تماما كالهراوة واعقاب البنادق وكاتم الصوت.. لا تتحدث عن لجنة تحقيق امسك هرواة انزل بها على رأس من يعارض السلطة .. هشم رأسه اقتله.. يمكنك ان تتبادل الدور مع اي شخص اخر في المنظومة.. هو يهشم الرأس انت تحقق او العكس .. #نزار_بنات — Arafat Alhaj (@Hajj_Arafat) June 24, 2021 The “investigation committee” is another killing tool, just like the batons, gun butts and silencers.