Violence explodes on multiple fronts as Hamas seeks to topple PA

Since Pesach began, Israel has faced deadly terror attacks in Tel Aviv and the West Bank, rockets from Lebanon and Syria, and a protest that saw hundreds of Palestinians evicted from Al-Aqsa. DROR DORON explains why.

Over the past few weeks numerous speakers from the Israeli security establishment raised the warning: as the Jewish Passover and the Muslim Ramadan approached, Israel might face simultaneous security challenges on multiple fronts – the Gaza strip, Jerusalem and the West Bank, as well as the northern border with Lebanon and Syria.

Since Pesach began last Thursday, a tourist was killed and seven people injured in a ramming attack in Tel Aviv, two sisters and their were killed in a shooting in the West Bank, dozens of rockets were fired on northern Israel in separate attacks from Lebanon and Syria, and hundreds of people barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa mosque compound. Israel has responded with airstrikes on Syria, Lebanon and Gaza and a police operation that turned violent at Al-Aqsa.

These events demonstrate that unfortunately accurate predictions were not enough to prevent an unwanted scenario or the potential for further escalation, which remains very much present.

The driving force behind the fast military escalation is the Hamas. The timing and chosen “trigger” are also obvious: the manipulation of Muslim and Jewish religious sensitivities during Ramadan and Passover to justify military action as a ploy to “defend the holy mosques in Jerusalem from a Jewish usurpation”.

The ongoing civil crisis enveloping Israel did not have any bearing on Hamas’s decision to take this action now. The timing is based on the Muslim and Jewish holydays happening simultaneously. Two years ago, Hamas exploited another sensitive moment: the Jerusalem Day parade by far-right activists around the old city during Ramadan, which led to the Gaza conflict in May 2021.

This time, as in 2021, Jewish radical right-wing activists played right into the hands of Hamas, with their provocative attempt to revive an ancient ceremony of live animal sacrifice on the Temple Mount, a uniquely holy site for both religions. Despite these attempts being foiled by the Israeli police, the domino effect began and has fallen directly at Hamas’ feet.