Hamas vows revenge over Fudaha killing
HAMAS is threatening to settle a “new blood debt” against Israel, after the death of one of its top military leaders in what it claims was a Mossad assassination.
HAMAS is threatening to settle a “new blood debt” against Israel, after the death of one of its top military leaders in what it claims was a Mossad assassination.
Israel has not confirmed or denied its involvement in the killing of Mazen Fuqaha, who was found dead last Friday in his car in Gaza, after being shot in the head. But Hamas insisted that it was the work of Israel, aided by local collaborators, and at the mass funeral, there were cries of “revenge”.
Hamas was so keen to catch culprits involved in the killing before they leave the Gaza Strip that it closed border crossings – a move that is strongly criticised when Israel or Egypt imposes a closure. “Hamas punishes Gaza civilians, again,” the pro-Israel group Stand With Us wrote in a tongue-in-cheek Facebook post. “Where’s the outrage?”
Hamas political chief Khaled Mashaal said that Israel has “changed the rules of the game” and Hamas “accepts the challenge”.
There is precedent for revenge, such as the spate of suicide bombings in 1996 after the assassination of the Hamas bomb maker Yahya Ayyash. The 2012 killing of Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari is thought have made Hamas reluctant to back down in the eight-day military confrontation which followed.
As Hamas, which is based across Israel’s southern border, issues its threats, the Jewish state is also receiving threats regarding its most volatile northern border – the Syria border. Syria has said it will launch scud missiles towards Israel if the Israeli Air Force doesn’t stop striking Syrian targets, according to a Lebanese newspaper. Syria is said to have sent the message to Israel through the Russian regime. Its move comes after the most significant clash since the start of the Syrian Civil War six years ago, which involved an Israeli air strike and Syrian launch of ballistic missiles.
Tensions between Hamas and Israel were already spiralling at the time of Fuqaha’s death, and have continued to do so since. There has been an increase in cross-
border fire in recent weeks, and Hamas is reportedly starting to take delivery of longer-range rockets. Three Palestinians approached the no-go area next to the Israel-Gaza border fence last week acting suspiciously, and Israel responded with fire, killing one and injuring the other two.
Hamas also is encouraging the continuation of the terror wave, or as the prominent leader Abdel Rahman Shadid called it in a recent statement to Palestinians, the “Al Quds Intifada.”
On Monday, a Hamas politician, Rafat Nasif, was arrested by Israel in the West Bank, and Israel has also just revealed that it has arrested Muhammad Murtaja, Gaza-based coordinator of Turkish government-funded aid initiative, on suspicion of working for the military wing of Hamas. According to Palestinian sources five other Hamas-affiliated politicians have been detained by Israel this month.
Hamas’ propaganda channels appear determined to ramp up tensions following the assassination. “The enemy has uprooted a hero from our heroes in Gaza,” Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal said in a video address to a Gaza memorial gathering for Fuqaha on Monday.
NATHAN JEFFAY
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