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.

On Nov. 11, Hamas’ political bureau head Khaled Meshaal confirmed in a press interview that Hamas seeks to retaliate against Israel’s schemes in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa by resisting and pushing people to rise up against the occupation forces. Meshaal said the problem was not the lack of readiness of the Palestinian people to resist, but in weak policies and official choices. Resistance is the people’s right, and the mere existence of occupation is reason enough for people to resist, he said.

Mona Mansour, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council in the West Bank, told Al-Monitor in an interview, “The latest operations in the West Bank were carried out by individuals. There are no organized armed actions there, as the Israeli and Palestinian security forces are both tracking down any suspicious commando operations.”