Hamas instigates further West Bank unrest

Hamas is seeking to take advantage of the latest acts of violence against Israelis in the occupied territories, but is hindered by tight security measures by Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
A Palestinian protester holds a Hamas flag during clashes with Israeli troops following a protest against what organizers say are recent visits by Jewish activists to al-Aqsa mosque, at Qalandia checkpoint near the West Bank city of Ramallah November 7, 2014. In recent months, a campaign for the prayer ban on Jewish worshippers at the site, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, to be overturned, led by settler activists, has gathered momentum, raising alarm among Palestinians
A Palestinian protester holds a Hamas flag during clashes with Israeli troops following a protest against what organizers say are visits by Jewish activists to Al-Aqsa Mosque, at the Qalandia checkpoint near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Nov. 7, 2014. - REUTERS/Ammar Awad
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Hamas has not concealed its intentions to take advantage of the unrest at Al-Aqsa Mosque to foment trouble in the West Bank, whether through popular protests or armed operations.

On Nov. 16, Hamas gave its blessing to the latest violence, during which many Israeli soldiers and settlers have been stabbed or run over with vehicles. The movement considers these actions a normal response to Israel’s acts of desecration, attacks on worshipers and displacement of Jerusalemites, and has called upon Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank to increase them.

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