Video of Hamas fighters training in West Bank unsettles Israel
Hamas has released a video of its fighters training in Jenin that's been taken as a message that they will soon resume operations in the West Bank.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released a video Sept. 3 showing its fighters carrying out military exercises in Jenin.
The video, which was widely circulated on local media outlets and social networking sites, features a group of al-Qassam fighters conducting military exercises with light weapons. The rare sight of the scarf and banner of al-Qassam Brigades in the West Bank put the Palestinian Authority and its security services on high alert and led to a campaign of arrests in Jenin.
Israeli journalist Ehud Hamo said on Israel’s Channel 12 Sept. 5 that the video, made not far from the Israeli city of Afula, aroused concern among the Israeli security authorities. He raised the possibility of these gunmen carrying out armed operations inside Afula, which suffered such attacks during the second intifada.
“This video seems to be an exception, as it features scenes and images that we have not seen in years in the West Bank. It does, however, reflect the recent situation of more armed Palestinian youths carrying out shootings at an unprecedented rate. The security establishment fears that the escalation in these areas will lead to an explosion,” Hamo added.
