Haaretz: Hamas has no interest in targeting Hamdallah

Palestinian Prime Minister, Rami Hamdallah, arrives in Gaza to attend a press conference in regards to the US officially calling Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on 7 December 2017 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Israeli newspaper Haaretz said yesterday that Hamas does not have any interest in targeting the convoy of Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah.

Israeli writer Amira Hass said that it is easy to accuse Hamas of carrying out the attack “but there are much more likely suspects”.

She added: “Hamas does not and could not have any interest in attacking senior Palestinian Authority officials on their way to inaugurate a sewage treatment plant that residents of the Gaza Strip have long awaited.”

According to the Israeli paper, Hass expected that Hamas would not allow or turn a blind eye to anyone planting an explosive device to target Hamdallah’s convoy because it wants to appear to be a strong player on the ground.

She also said that Hamas is ready to give up part of its power for the sake of its people, not due to its failures.

“Despite all the hostility between the two sides,” Hass said, “Hamas is ready to handover the responsibility of the Gaza Strip and this is enough to prove it is not responsible for targeting the convoy.”

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