(BBC News) Jon Donnison - Just over a week ago at the Bani Nayim junction in the southern West Bank, four Israeli settlers were shot dead - their car riddled with bullets - in a drive-by attack by Hamas militants. The following day near Ramallah, two Israeli settlers were injured in a similar attack. Both attacks were carried out by Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades. Wasfi Kabaha, a Hamas politician in the West Bank, says Hamas remains strong. "Hamas supporters are everywhere, in every town, in every village." He said the crackdown by the Palestinian security services has only driven the al-Qassam Brigades underground. Ronan Bergman, an Israeli expert on intelligence, says the efforts of the Palestinian Authority have made it much more difficult for Hamas militants to operate. However, if the peace talks progress, "I would expect further Hamas operations on the West Bank against settlers and even against the Palestinian Authority," he says.
2010-09-20 09:16:19Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive