Sources in Gaza said Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials who were in Cairo on Saturday night informed their Egyptian intelligence contacts that they have “no interest in an escalation with Israel,” according to Israeli media.
The sources said that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist groups were not behind Saturday afternoon’s roadside bombing that resulted in four wounded IDF soldiers and which brought down the wrath of the IDF. Instead, they claimed that it was the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) terrorist group that was responsible for the attack, Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan News, reported.
However, while Hamas officials may claim the group desires no escalation, its actions make it clear there are other plans afoot.
The PRC is directly supported by Hamas, while the group functions independently as a means of continuing “resistance” against Israel “while being able to claim that it is not involved in the PRC’s terrorist activities.”
In addition, intelligence information indicates that Hamas is directly involved in funding and training the PRC, which also operates in coordination with Iranian authorities and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terrorist organization — as does Hamas.