Coalition member and Islamist party Ra’am might threaten to topple Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government if Israel starts another conflict against Hamas, a source close to the Gaza Strip terrorist group claimed on Sunday.
According to a Palestinian source — which harbors close ties with Hamas' leadership in Gaza — the terror group's leader Yahya Sinwar is convinced that Ra'am chief Mansour Abbas will resign from Bennett's government if tensions between Israel and Gaza continue to escalate.
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Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar holds the child of an Al-Qassam Brigades fighter, who was killed during the May conflict with Israel
(Photo: AFP)
The source's claims come after Israel attacked several Hamas targets in Gaza on Sunday in retaliation for the riot on the perimeter fence on Saturday during which one IDF soldier was gravely wounded by a bullet to the head.
The source added that Sinwar, “knows that he and Gaza are the reason for the continued existence of Bennett’s government."
“That is why he is not afraid to put pressure on the Israeli government,” the source added.
“After all, Mansour Abbas is [affiliated with] Qatar, and Yahya Sinwar is [also affiliated with] Qatar, which makes Qatar the common umbrella for both of them,” he explained.
“[That is why] Sinwar is not afraid of making tactical moves against Israel... Although he remains careful not to let this devolve into a full-on confrontation. With these moves, Sinwar intends to expedite a complete solution for the Gaza Strip," the source added.
The sources also said "he is sure" that financial aid from Qatar will eventually reach the Palestinian enclave, as well as Hamas officials in the territory whose salaries are paid by the Qatari grant each month.
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A wounded Palestinian is evacuated by medical teams after being injured in clashes along the border with Israel on Saturday
(Photo: AP)
Israel agreed last Thursday to resume the transfer of Qatari aid money to the Gaza Strip following an agreement between Doha and the UN over the transfer mechanism.
The Jewish state has long pursued an alternative mechanism to facilitate the transfer of funds from the affluent Gulf state to Gaza to support impoverished families without the money falling into Hamas' hands.
The source added that Sinwar is content with the agreement because it “leaves Qatar as the main player in the Gaza arena."
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Official disburses Qatari aid money to Gaza civilians at a local postal bank
(Photo: Reuters)
"This is an Israeli and American mistake, but we are already used to the mistakes of the United States in the region,” added the source, who also referred to Israel's recent statement, which described the agreement as an "achievement."
“Although Israel prefers to describe it as an achievement and a change in the equation with Hamas, it is clear to Sinwar that the agreement serves him and he understands that these are media tricks by the Israeli government,” the source asserted.
“Hamas will continue to prove, under the auspices of the current Israeli government, that it is the only factor in the Palestinian arena and that this is the basis for the legitimacy it did not receive in the elections canceled by Palestinian President and Palestinian Authority chief, Mahmoud Abbas."