GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A Hamas source said the group might curtail its armed actions temporarily to avoid a crackdown that could stifle a nascent intifada. Hamas is pushing for the intifada in the West Bank and Jerusalem, which it believes could help its members there in light of the Palestinian Authority's security grip on them and the freezing of security coordination with Israel.
Hamas supports a popular intifada and direct individual confrontations, at this stage at least. The group, which believes armed action is a proper approach to resist the Israeli occupation under usual circumstances, thinks such action on its part at this point might weaken the intifada, a well-informed Hamas source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.