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Tue, Sept 07, 2010 | The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

Hamas spokesman Musheir al-Masri extols the terrorist shooting attack in Judea and Samaria which killed four Israeli civilians (Al-Jazeera TV, August 31, 2010).

Hamas’ Path of Ramadan Victories

Terrorist shooting attacks in Judea and Samaria during Ramadan are part of Hamas’ path of Ramadan victories and Islam’s historic victory during the Ramadan.

On the evening of August 31 an Israeli vehicle was shot at near the Bani Naim junction southeast of Kiryat Arba in Judea. The four Israeli civilians in the car were killed. The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, officially claimed responsibility. In our assessment the objective of the attack was to disrupt the relaunching of direct negotiations in Washington.

The Hamas leadership praised the attack. Musheir al-Masri, speaker for the Hamas faction in the Palestinian Legislative Council, said that the attack was “an extremely strong” response to the “talks for relaunching the direct negotiations.” He said that the way for Palestinians to negotiate was “with guns,” claiming that the “resistance” (i.e., terrorism) of Hamas’ military wing would continue “until the liberation of Palestine.” Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas movement spokesman, claimed that the attack was the natural reaction to “Israel’s crimes” (Hamas’ Palestine-info website, August 31, 2010). Hamas also held festivities in several refugee camps during which candy was distributed to the participants (Ma’an News Agency, August 31, 2010).

Candies distributed in the Jabaliya refugee camp to celebrate the terrorist attack (Hamas’ Palestine-info website, August 31, 2010).

Hezbollah

Hezbollah also expressed support of the attack. The organization said in a statement that it was “a clear message which proved that there was no option other than resistance” (i.e., terrorism and violence). It claimed that the attack was a response to “the policy of occupation and settlement” and that “the settlers can be considered occupation soldiers even if they do not wear uniforms” (Hezbollah’s Al-Intiqad website, September 2, 2010).

Two similar attacks were later carried out; the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for both of them:

* On September 1, an Israeli car was shot at in the area of Rimonim, a settlement in eastern Samaria. Two civilians were wounded, one seriously and one suffered minor wounds.

* On September 2, an Israeli vehicle was shot at near the settlement of Ofra, northeast of Ramallah. There were no casualties.

The Path of Ramadan Victories

In response to the shooting attacks Ismail Haniya, head of the de facto Hamas administration, said that the events were the continuation of Islam’s historic victory during [the holy Muslim] month of Ramadan. He added that Hamas intended to continue “the path of Ramadan victories” in view of the attempt to “separate the [West] Bank from its Arab-Muslim depth and turn into an oasis of false peace” (Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV, September 2, 2010).