Terror groups vie for Gaza attack 'credit'

Jerusalem Post ^ | May. 16, 2004 | KHALED ABU TOAMEH

[yonif]

A row has erupted between Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah over last week's attack on the IDF armored vehicle in the Zeitun neighborhood of Gaza City in which six soldiers were killed. Each one of the three groups has claimed that its men carried out the attack, triggering an unprecedented "war of leaflets" and mutual accusations in the Gaza Strip.

The attack was initially claimed by Izz Addin Kassam, the armed wing of Hamas, which said its members planted the bomb that destroyed the IDF vehicle. Later, two other groups – Fatah's Aksa Martyrs Brigades and Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades – also claimed responsibility in joint leaflets distributed in the Gaza Strip.

Many Palestinians refer to the killing of the six IDF soldiers as a heroic act, drawing parallels between the attack and the 1968 battle in the Jordanian town of Karameh, which is still celebrated as a glorious victory against Israel throughout the Arab world.

The battle of Karameh, in which the IDF suffered heavy casualties after being ambushed by Fatah fighters, is seen as a political and military turning point in the war against Israel because it restored the dignity and self-esteem of the Palestinians and the Arabs after the Six Day War defeat.

That's precisely why Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah are now vying to take credit for the Zeitun attack. Each one of the groups wants to be remembered as the one that was responsible for blowing up the armored vehicle and sparking a debate in Israel over the future of the Gaza Strip.

The Zeitun attack is regarded by the three groups as the turning point in the fight against Israel because it was followed by increased calls in Israel to quit the Gaza Strip.

Because of the controversy over the Zeitun attack, the three groups agreed to form a commission of inquiry to determine who was responsible for the killings. On Sunday, the commission published its findings, concluding that the attack was carried out by Izz Addin Kassam, Hamas's armed wing.

It said representatives of the three groups met in Gaza City over the weekend to discuss the Zeitun attack. Fatah and Islamic Jihad representatives insisted that it was their men who detonated the bomb near the IDF vehicle, but failed to provide sufficient evidence, according to a statement issued by the commission.

The commission said that Fatah and Islamic Jihad promised to come back the next day with evidence and eyewitness accounts to corroborate their version. However, they did not show up and did not answer their phones when the commission members called them.

The commission said its members visited the site of the explosion, and after talking to eyewitnesses and Hamas gunmen who claimed that they had planted the bomb, determined that the movement's armed wing should be accredited for the attack.

Sources in Gaza City said Hamas managed to prove its responsibility by showing a video film of the attack and the soldiers' bodies near the armored vehicle minutes after the attack. The film was shot by the same Hamas cell that carried out the attack, the sources added.

The findings of the investigating commission have enraged Fatah and Islamic Jihad, which issued a joint statement reaffirming their responsibility for the attack. The two groups pointed out that their members were holding the remains of the six soldiers and that was enough to prove that they were behind the attack.

Sources close to Hamas in the Gaza Strip told The Jerusalem Post that the movement was satisfied with the results of the commission of inquiry. They admitted, however, that supporters of Fatah and Islamic Jihad had collected the remains of some of the soldiers shortly after the explosion, but said that does not necessarily mean that they had carried out the attack.

[thoughtomator]

Well now, it's a good thing there's a peace process with these lovely individuals, isn't it?

[TheSpottedOwl]

I don't suppose they wouldn't start shooting each other and do us all a favor?