(Times of Israel) Avi Issacharoff - PA President Mahmoud Abbas has come to realize that the recently inked unity pact with Hamas ended at the moment of the abduction of the three Israeli youths. Confidants of Abbas say that Hamas will pay a steep price for the kidnapping. From the moment the unity agreement was finalized, some two weeks before the kidnapping on Thursday, Abbas' security forces realized that Hamas was trying to undermine the relative peace in the West Bank and foment unrest against both Israel and the PA. History has shown that the immediate aftermath of such actions sees a surge in support for Hamas. Yet, Hamas leaders are painfully aware that, whatever befalls the three Israeli youths, they could eventually pay for it with their own lives. So far, there's nothing to indicate that the kidnappers are seeking to trade the teens for Palestinian prisoners.
2014-06-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive