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.