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Hamas: Islamic Jihad Doesn't Get to Decide for Us about War with Israel
(Jerusalem Post) Khaled Abu Toameh - Hamas' failure to join the fighting with Israel was one of the main reasons why Palestinian Islamic Jihad agreed to the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire, Palestinians said Thursday. The heavy casualties PIJ suffered also contributed to the decision, they said. Palestinian political analysts claimed that Israel relayed a message to Hamas through Egyptian intelligence officials shortly after the targeted killing of Baha Abu al-Ata that the IDF would not target Hamas if it did not fire rockets at Israel. Hamas officials responded that any decision to go to war with Israel should be taken by all Palestinian factions in Gaza, and not by one alone. Hamas is already facing growing discontent over its failure to improve living conditions, and the last thing it needs is another war that would further undermine its rule.