After the Hamas terror group assigned a new leader to their faction in Jerusalem, the organization took on a major role in igniting the recent wave of violence.
Khaled Sabah, who was until recently charged with financing Hamas operations in Jerusalem, was appointed to lead the local operations, by the leader of the groups' military wing Saleh al-Arouri.
Hamas has been trying, unsuccessfully thus far, to increase Palestinian attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank while keeping the Gaza Strip area quiet, in order not to interfere with the growing number of permits given to residents, to work in Israel.
Al Arouri had invested large amounts of money to fund terror squads in Jerusalem, and his frustration - Israeli security officials believe - has prompted him to reshuffle the organization's leadership in the city.
In his previous position, Sabah was charged with providing the funds to Hamas operatives while publicly holding a job as the head of a charity organization.
In his leadership role Sabah was instructed by Al Arouri, to set up a terror infrastructure that would be ready to operate as soon as the holly month of Ramadan, especially around the contentious Al Aqsa mosque compound.
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Palestinian protesters hold up a Hamas flag during riots in Jerusalem on Friday
(Photo: AP)
Additional funding flowed from Gaza to bolster Hamas's operations as new recruits were added to the terror group.
It appears that Al Arouri, who is known for his strategic perspective, was already preparing the ground for increased security tensions around Ramadan.
He was aided by another Hamas operative Zakaria Najib, a former prisoner held in Israel and released as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap, who is based in Turkey and holds the Hamas, Jerusalem portfolio.
While Al Arouri's plans seem to have succeeded somewhat, his chosen Jerusalem leader Sabah, was recently arrested by Israel and is facing trial for his Hamas affiliations.