Al Qaida and Hamas have launched cooperation in the Islamic war against Israel. The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs said that over the past year Al Qaida and Hamas have been cooperating on strategic and tactical issues. The center said in a report that Al Qaida has ensured funding to Hamas despite threats of a Western aid cutoff to the Palestinian Authority.
"The Palestinian Authority under Hamas rule is becoming a safe haven for Islamic terror organizations, first and foremost Al Qaida," the report, authored by [Res.] Col. Jonathan Halevy, said. "Hamas' ideological closeness to Al Qaida and its branches throughout the world -- including Yemen and Pakistan -- also creates a basis for practical cooperation, including sharing of knowledge, as well as in joint training, financial assistance, recruitment of operatives, and terror attacks."
Over the last few weeks, the PA has acknowledged the growing presence of Al Qaida in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. On March 2, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said he received information of an Al Qaida presence. Two days earlier, Israel had announced the arrest of two Al Qaida operatives in the West Bank city of Nablus. |