If Palestinian reports are true, then the arrest of senior Hamas leader Hassan Yousef by the Israel Defense Forces is another blow the terrorist organization received in the last few days.
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The first embarrassing incident occurred last week when senior Hamas figures threatened escalation on Arab media. Despite the threat, it became clear from Palestinian sources that there was no official decision made by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip on any gradual escalation. As time went on and threats remained just that, they were perceived as an attempt to silence criticism leveled at Hamas by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the second most powerful terrorist organization in Gaza.
In a recent interview, Palestinian Islamic Jihad head Ziad al-Nahala attacked Hamas, arguing the group should not facilitate Israel's issuance of work permits for workers from Gaza. He claimed Jerusalem was looking to turn Gaza and Palestinians in Judea and Samaria into warehouse workers.
Hamas also pointed a finger at Israel, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority, with hypocrisy and lack of self-awareness that typically characterizes terrorist organizations.
In fact, Hamas violated the seize fire with Israel, as did the recent terrorist attack by one of its operatives in Jerusalem. Last month, an extensive Hamas infrastructure was discovered in Judea and Samaria that planned terror attacks against Israelis. For some reason, Hamas thinks it can incite and plan attacks in Judea and Samaria, and Jerusalem without paying a price for it in Gaza.
As for Egypt, Hamas' behavior is pure nerve. Cairo has already submitted plans for the construction of three residential cities and Hamas has already begun to search for areas where these cities – with hundreds of housing units – could be built. Now, it is precisely the threats that may delay the rehabilitation process.
The next embarrassing incident happened on Friday night. Lebanese media reported that a Hamas ammunition depot exploded in the heart of a Palestinian refugee camp. Hamas claimed a short circuit ignited oxygen tanks that were on site for coronavirus patients, but camp officials leaked information that it was actually a weapon storage facility.
Hamas' attempt to evade responsibility failed again, and the group sought to minimize the publicity damage during a visit by its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, to the house of a victim of the blast. This effort failed as well, as an exchange of fire broke out between Hamas and Fatah members, in which four Hamas members died, according to the organization.
After seizing control of Gaza, Hamas set its sight on Judea and Samaria, and Palestinian areas. In reality, the attempts to take over refugee camps in Lebanon and gain a foothold in Judea and Samaria are much more complex. Fatah is still going strong, as can be seen from its exchange of fire with Hamas. And in Judea and Samaria, Hamas is between the Palestinian Authority rock and the Israeli hard place.
It is precisely in Gaza, the perceived unchallenged stronghold of Hamas, that the first cracks in the terrorist group's foundations can be detected.
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