Senior Hamas sources said Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh met several times with Islamic Jihad and Popular Resistance Committees commanders and pleaded with them to stop Qassam fire into Israel, out of fear that Israel will send ground troops to the Gaza Strip should Qassam attacks persist.
According to sources, Haniyeh warned that the continuation of IDF artillery fire at Qassam launching sites in response to rocket attacks harms Palestinian interests, Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
Gaza mayhem (Footage: Reuters)
Haniyeh has yet to condemn Qassam attacks in public, and until today the Palestinian government has taken no measures to stop the attacks, but to the contrary, Hamas spokesmen said repeatedly that "Qassam attacks are a natural response to Israeli aggressions."
Should the Ashkelon power station suffer a direct Qassam hit, Israel will likely launch a large-scale offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinians have been warned several times through various intermediaries that such scenario could prove costly for the Palestinians. The IDF's intelligence assessment is that terror groups have their eyes set on hitting the power station, which will be seen as a big victory.
On Monday, 8 Qassam rockets were fired at south Ashkelon where the power station lies. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.
The groups issued a statement claiming that three of the rockets were of the Quds 3 series, missiles with an improved fire range.
The IDF responded to the attack by firing artillery rounds at the northern Gaza Strip.
Matan Tsuri contributed to the report
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