Jerusalem – The shadowy military wing of Hamas went public Saturday, revealing the names of its top commanders and outlining the history and increasing sophistication of its attacks against Israel in the latest salvo in the battle for credit over Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.
The Islamic group insists its fighters drove Israel out, while Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas credits his nonviolent approach.
The jockeying for public opinion ahead of Palestinian legislative elections next year could have lasting implications for the future makeup of the Palestinian Authority and the fate of nascent peace efforts with Israel.
The posting was part of a new campaign by the Islamic group to glorify its fighters and burnish its credentials.
Sitting at the top of Hamas’ military command structure was Mohammed Deif, who has been No. 1 on Israel’s wanted list for years and survived three Israeli attempts to kill him.
In a videotape released last week, Deif, who has been in hiding since 1992, was shown celebrating the Gaza pullout as a victory for armed resistance and calling for continued attacks until Israel is destroyed.
Israel and the United States have called on Abbas to dismantle all Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas. Abbas has said such a crackdown could cause a civil war and has worked to co-opt the militants into the political system instead.
