RAMALLAH, September 4 (JMCC) - Deadly drive-by shootings by
Hamas gunmen this week proved that the Palestinian militant group can still operate in the
West Bank when its leadership demands, despite a sustained crackdown by
Israel and the
Palestinian Authority, reports the
Washington Post.
Hamas has pledged to follow up on the attacks, which appeared timed to the re-launch in Washington of direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
For more than two years, Israelis and Palestinians have celebrated the relative quiet that has prevailed in the West Bank and applauded the U.S.-trained Palestinian security services, which have fought, arrested and disarmed Hamas and other militants in coordination with Israel.
Palestinian officials have described the establishment of a credible security service and rule of law as an important precursor to statehood and have voiced pride in their successes.
The three attacks Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, which left four Israelis dead and two wounded, seemed like an anomaly amid the recent calm.
They were, however, reminiscent of routine attempts in the 1990s by Hamas's military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, to disrupt peace efforts and raised new questions about the group's strength in territory the Palestinians want for their future state.
There is no doubt that [the Brigades] are being chased by the Authority and the occupation, and our circumstances are hard, Abu Ubaidah, a spokesman for the Brigades, said in an interview Thursday in Gaza. But this week's attacks show there is a possibility and a will to carry out operations, he added.
Hamas remains a substantial power in the West Bank and should not be underestimated there, Ghassan Khatib, a spokesman for the government of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, acknowledged in an interview Thursday.
However, I think the public is not in the mood to support resuming violent attacks against Israelis, Khatib said. The general opinion is the intifada was not compatible with the interests of the Palestinian people.
Read the story at the
Washington Post...