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Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Saturday, May 13, 2023
Senior Israeli source: Current fighting in Gaza shows ‘weakness’ of Hamas
Hamas terrorists in Gaza City on December 10, 2022. (Atia Mohammed/Flash90)
A senior diplomatic source asserts the current fighting between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad shows “the weakness” of Hamas, in an apparent effort to prod Gaza’s rulers to rein in the Iran-backed terror group.
The source says Hamas has long prevented other factions from “dictating policies” in Gaza, but that PIJ “has taken control of the agenda” there.
“More than anything, this shows the weakness of Hamas, which is being dragged by PIJ into an unnecessary round [of fighting],” the source says. “If Hamas doesn’t set a red line for PIJ and force it to stop the [rocket fire], this will be evidence of a changing balance of power in the Strip.”
