Hamas may try to carry out terrorist attacks to torpedo the peace process if it looks like the Annapolis conference and the ensuing negotiations will achieve progress, according to OC Military Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin.
| Ohfergawdsake. They always do that. Every time there's a remote possibility of peace on the horizon a few atrocities quickly put things right again. If it's not Hamas doing it, it's Islamic Jihad. If not them, it's the al-Aqsa Martyrs. If not them, Cousin Jethro Dogmush. |
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas needs to achieve diplomatic momentum and bring about changes on the ground to boost his own standing amongst the Palestinian population, he told government ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting. If he fails, the opposite will happen, he said, adding: "Failure of the conference could bring about a serious risk of strengthening the extremists."
Israeli counterterrorism operations continue to thwart the ongoing attempts by Hamas to carry out attacks, Yadlin said. Hamas was currently focusing its efforts on building up its military infrastructure, training and increasing its supplies of weapons in preparation for an expected large scale IDF thrust into Gaza, he said. Ten tons of TNT were smuggled into the Gaza Strip in the last month alone, he said. Yadlin denied there was a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but said, "It's not a place I would want to live." |