The Al Qaeda terrorist network has strengthened ties with Hamas as the Palestinian Authority (PA) weakens, Army reserve Lt. Col. Jonathan HaLevi wrote for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas last year said, "We have signs of the presence of al-Qaeda in Gaza and the West Bank." Following the expulsion of Jewish residents from the Gaza area and the destruction of their communities, Al Qaeda already has begun to fill the vacuum in security, HaLevi wrote.
Further evidence of the presence Al Qaeda was produced earlier this month when the terrorist group Army of Islam, identified with Al Qaeda, took responsibility for the kidnapping of British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) reporter Alan Johnston. The same group was involved in last year's abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
"Even external appearances show al-Qaeda's growing influence as members of its affiliate movements in the Gaza Strip will often wear the same black head covering that was a trademark of the late al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. All the evidence indicates that rather than challenge al-Qaeda's bid to expand its presence in the Gaza Strip, Hamas prefers to collaborate with these new militant groups," HaLevi added.
Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas last year said, "We have signs of the presence of al-Qaeda in Gaza and the West Bank." Following the expulsion of Jewish residents from the Gaza area and the destruction of their communities, Al Qaeda already has begun to fill the vacuum in security, HaLevi wrote.
Further evidence of the presence Al Qaeda was produced earlier this month when the terrorist group Army of Islam, identified with Al Qaeda, took responsibility for the kidnapping of British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) reporter Alan Johnston. The same group was involved in last year's abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
"Even external appearances show al-Qaeda's growing influence as members of its affiliate movements in the Gaza Strip will often wear the same black head covering that was a trademark of the late al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. All the evidence indicates that rather than challenge al-Qaeda's bid to expand its presence in the Gaza Strip, Hamas prefers to collaborate with these new militant groups," HaLevi added.