Following Israeli threats, Hamas detains more members of Salafi jihadist group

Israeli Army Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz threatened Gaza with a huge war as homemade projectiles and Grad rockets were fired on Israeli settlement and cities from Gaza strip.

He added: "It is not just military officials among us who know what to do in war, we must not put the sword in its sheath. Let's see what is next; less than 20 kilometers separate us from those who want to hurt Israel."

After the Israeli threats, Hamas immediately carried out a campaign of arrests for Salafi jihadist group; this happened away from the media

For their part, a Salafi jihadist group said that Hamas security forces have detained 20 Salafi fighters in the Gaza Strip, in a move to prevent rocket fire into Israel.

The Salifist jihadist groups said 20 fighters were detained, and that security forces confiscated homemade projectiles and light weapons belonging to Salafi militants.

"Families of the fighters were assaulted by security forces during the arrests," the groups said in a statement, adding that several Salafi activists and leaders had been summoned by security services in Gaza.

The groups said Hamas security forces were seeking information about fighters affiliated to the Mujahideen Shura Council in the environs of Jerusalem, which has claimed responsible for firing cross-border rockets and the June attack on Israel from Sinai. Israeli forces have assassinated several Salafi leaders.

Army of the Nation commander Abu Hafs al-Maqdisi remains in the custody of Hamas internal security services. A senior leader in the group, Abu Suhayb Rashwan, was detained weeks ago as he left hospital, where he was recovering from injuries sustained in an Israeli strike on Rafah in July.

Salifist Jihadist groups warned Hamas there would be consequences for targeting their militants and said Salafi leaders "will not turn themselves in at any price."

Furthermore, the prime minister of Gaza's Hamas government, Ismail Haniyeh gave directions to his interior ministry to monitor Gaza's border with Egypt.

In response to the on going rocket firing on Israel:

An Israeli F-16 fighter jet fired three missiles into a training center that belongs to the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, near An-Nusseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza; damage was reported, no injuries.

An Israeli army statement said that, aircraft targeted a terror activity site in the northern Gaza Strip, confirming a direct hit. "The site was targeted in a direct response to the ongoing rocket fire towards southern Israel," he continued.

An Israeli army spokesman said, four rockets and dozen mortar hit southern Israel, without causing damage or injuries.

Israeli sources reported that a number of shells were fired into the Eshkol Regional Council, in the Western Negev. The highway leading to Eshkol was closed due to fires caused by the shells.

Opinion:

Despite my objection to the style played by Hamas in arresting Salafi jihadist members, Hamas forces appear serious in dealing with this armed faction.

I think that Hamas would reach another group of this faction, which is active in Sinai and who are probably the ones who participated in the recent operation in Sinai, in which 16 Egyptian soldiers have been killed.

By the way, most of these Salafi jihadist members were actually members of Hamas Islamic resistant movement. However, when Hamas entered the political route and loosened resistance, they decided to quit them and to form this organization, hence Salafi jihadist groups appeared online.

The Salafi jihadist group is a well-armed organization and has external connections from outside Gaza, in addition to many sources of support. This is considered a serious danger not only on Hamas movement, but on all the people of Gaza who do not wish to be among a group following al-Qaida.

The situation in Gaza is still very tense and people here are afraid that this group might go for a military operation against Israel. Unfortunately, innocent people in Gaza will pay for it.

Source:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4275603,00.html