The militant group Hamas has declared an end to its informal ceasefire with Israel and has vowed to increase the level of bloodshed in the region after the death of seven Palestinian civilians taking a beachside picnic on the Gaza Strip Friday.
Hamas agreed to an informal cessation of hostilities with Israel in February 2005 after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to a ceasefire with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at an Egyptian resort. While Hamas did not launch any direct attacks on Israel since then, it is well known that Hamas has offered support to other militant groups carrying out terrorist attacks including the so-called Popular Resistance Committees (P.R.C.).
The death of the Palestinian civilians took place after an Israeli artillery attack on an area used by Palestinian militants to fire rockets and mortars into Israel.
Major General Yoav Galant, the head of Israel's southern command expressed regret over the death of civilians. 'I express deep regret over the fact that uninvolved persons have been hit,' Galant told reporters. 'We shall try to find a way to ensure not to harm the uninvolved.'
A leaflet left my Hamas militants threatened additional bloodshed in the region. 'The earthquake in the Zionist towns will start again and the aggressors will have no choice but to prepare their coffins or their luggage,' the militants said. 'The resistance groups ... will choose the proper place and time for the tough, strong and unique response.'
The death of a leading Hamas militant who was helping the P.R.C. plan attacks on Thursday was a major cause of the call for increased violence by Hamas. The call for violence will also put pressure on Abbas to call of a referendum on a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian crisis drawn up by Hamas and Fatah militants serving time in Israeli prisons for terrorist attacks.
Abbas described the attack on the beach as a 'genocidal crime' and called for a three-day period of mourning in the Palestinian territories. Initial indications are he still plans to call for a vote on the prisoner's plan. The increased violence will likely result in more tensions between Hamas and Fatah but will play into the hardliners hand as anger grows on the Palestinian street over Israeli reprisals.
