![Mahmoud Al-Zahar, a member of the Hamas leadership in Gaza [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Mahmoud-Al-Zahar-a-member-of-the-Hamas-leadership-in-Gaza-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
A senior member of Hamas has accused the Palestinian Authority of firing rockets from the besieged Gaza Strip and in to Israel yesterday.
Mahmoud Al-Zahar told France24 , that firing the rockets aimed to strain the security relations ion the area and give the occupation an excuse to commit atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza.
“Therefore, the party that fired the rocket is either a party that is related to Israel or the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah,” he said.
“The Palestinian Authority wants the Palestinian street to revolt against the resistance, and divert it from confronting the occupation on the eastern border. If Hamas launched the rocket, it would have announced it without shame. Since we issued a statement denying our responsibility, then we did not launch the rocket,” he added.
Earlier this week, the Joint Operation Room of the Palestinian resistance factions in the Gaza Strip “reject[ed]” what they referred to as the “irresponsible attempts” to damage ceasefire talks headed by Egypt, including “the firing of rockets”.
Israeli occupation fighters launched a series of air strikes on several Palestinian targets along the Gaza Strip, claiming the strikes came in response to rockets launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel.