GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Amid a general uptick in Palestinian attacks against Israelis on the West Bank, at least two deadly attacks claimed by Hamas have raised speculation that the movement has activated cells to put pressure on Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades on Dec. 13 claimed responsibility for the Dec. 9 shooting attack near the Ofra settlement, east of Ramallah, that wounded 11 Israelis. The group also took responsibility for an Oct. 7 incident at the Barkan settlement in which a Palestinian who worked in a nearby Israeli factory shot and killed two settlers and wounded a third. The brigades threatened to carry out additional attacks.
