Transforming Hamas Has Implications for Israel-Palestine - Rafael D. Frankel - International - The Atlantic
By easing the leeway it grants the PRC and Islamic Jihad to operate in Gaza, Hamas may be using these other militant groups as a means to hit Israel without incurring the IDF’s wrath. Many security analysts believe Arafat used Hamas in the same manner during the 1990s, applying pressure to Israel when it suited him by modifying the amount of operating room he granted the Islamist group. It is possible a similar scenario is developing now, only with Hamas now pulling the levers.
The recent violence also highlighted an apparent schism within Hamas.
While Hamas’s political leadership was busy coordinating with Egypt, the PRC, and Islamic Jihad to reinstate the ceasefire between Gaza and Israel, Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, issued a statement that the ceasefire between Israel and the resistance movement was over. It followed that by launching a rocket at the Israeli town of Ofakim, which the Brigades then took credit for on its website.
Only hours later, the claim of responsibility for the rocket attack was removed from the website and the Brigades ceased its own military operations against Israel (though rockets continued to be fired by the PRC and Islamic Jihad).
Hamas may be unable, rather than unwilling, to enforce the “lull” with Israel brokered by Cairo. The implications of this are far-reaching; read the full article for a reasoned overview of the challenges facing Hamas, and Israel in its relations with Gaza.
Frankel links to this book on Hamas, which is provided on Google Books.