According to one of its own websites, Hamas was heavily involved in an attempted terrorist attack earlier this week. The attack involved booby-trapped vehicles, suicide belts, mortar shells and explosives-laden horses. It was foiled by alert IDF soldiers who spotted the attackers as they tried to infiltrate from Gaza under cover of fog.
The Gaza-based terrorist group “Jand Ansarallah,” created in late 2008, claimed responsibility for the attack. According to Hamas, the terrorists involved were trained in a Hamas camp, and Hamas gave them vehicles and weapons in advance of the attack.
Hamas has for the most part refrained from directly attacking Israel since shortly after the conclusion of Operation Cast Lead in Gaza earlier this year. However, other Gaza terrorists have carried out rocket attacks and attacks on IDF soldiers along the Gaza security barrier since Cast Lead ended.
The attempted attack near Karni ended with no injuries to Israeli soldiers. Three terrorists were killed. The surviving terrorists fled by truck.
Hamas Seeks Legitimacy
The attack took place during a major Hamas public relations campaign to gain international legitimacy. The group's leaders and spokesmen have given speeches in the past week calling on the United States and other Western countries to begin direct talks with Hamas.
Only by speaking to Hamas can U.S. President Obama hope to reach Middle East peace, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said. Another senior member of Hamas, Moussa Abu Marzouk, backed Mashaal but said Hamas has no intention of renouncing violence – a U.S. precondition for direct talks.