Illuminating the Situation of Palestinians in Syria By Aigle Middle East • July 2012 • Views: 476 A New York Times Op-Ed by Rod Nordland and Dalal Mawad on July 1, 2012 describes aspects of the Palestinian situation rarely discussed in The Times’s usual coverage of the Palestinians. The article describes a recent spate of assassinations of Palestinian officials in Syria. One victim was a Hamas official. Another was an officer in the Palestine Liberation Army (PLA). While Hamas immediately blamed Israel for the assassination of the Hamas official, the article suggests that it was most likely carried out by the Syrian regime itself to send a message to Hamas.