Hizbullah becoming more visible in West Bank after Moghnieh martyrdom
Source: AP, 13-03-2008
"Hizbullah is coming," mourners chanted at Thursday's funeral of a Palestinian militant killed by "Israel", his body wrapped in the flag of the Lebanese-based guerrilla group.
A Hizbullah flag, along with Hamas banners, also adorned the home of an "Israeli" Arab (1948-Palestinian) man who gunned down students at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem (al-Quds) last week, killing eight. Security officials claim a Palestinian group is a front for Hizbullah claimed responsibility for the rampage.
Hizbullah has long operated behind the scenes in the Palestinian territories, funneling millions of dollars to militant groups for attacks against "Israel", according to "Israeli" and Palestinian security officials. The Lebanese group's influence has become increasingly visible in the West Bank since last month's assassination of its military chief, Imad Moghnieh, in an explosion in Syria that Hizbullah has blamed on "Israel".
It remains unclear whether more Palestinian militants are simply taking their cue from Hizbullah, or whether the Lebanese group is getting more directly involved in the confrontations in the Palestinian territories, in part to make good on its threat to avenge Moghnieh.
"Israel" has not said whether it was behind the car bomb that killed Moghnieh. But since his death, Hizbullah's leaders have signaled they'll retaliate in "Israel" itself, not just against "Israeli" targets abroad, said Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, a Hizbullah specialist in Lebanon.
"Hizbullah's leaders made it clear that they are in a new stage of their war with 'Israel', and definitely the tools will be changed in this new phase," she said.
However, the extent of Hizbullah's involvement remains unknown.
A group calling itself Galilee Freedom Battalions - the Martyrs of Imad Moghnieh and Gaza has claimed responsibility for last week's shooting attack in al-Quds.
The moderate Abbas government in the West Bank is trying to limit Hizbullah's influence, while the Lebanese guerrilla group has found an eager ally in the Islamic militant Hamas, which controls Gaza.
"Israeli" and Palestinian officials have said they suspect possible involvement of both Hizbullah and Hamas in the al-Quds shooting. The attacker, a 25-year-old resident of Jerusalem, was killed by an off-duty "Israeli" soldier at the scene of the attack. A Hizbullah flag was briefly raised at his mourning tent, along with Hamas banners.
On Thursday, mourners marching in a funeral procession for four Palestinian militants killed the day before by "Israeli" troops in the West Bank town of Bethlehem chanted, "Hizbullah is coming." The bodies of local Islamic Jihad leader Mohammed Shehadeh and another militant were wrapped in Hizbullah flags.
"Mohammed was a big fan of Hizbullah's way of fighting against the 'Israeli' occupation," said the slain man's cousin, Khalil.
Hizbullah enjoys widespread popularity in the Palestinian territories because of its brazen actions against "Israel", including a guerrilla war that pushed "Israel" to withdraw from southern Lebanon in May 2000. Hizbullah's star rose further after fighting "Israel's" army to what some view as a draw in the summer of 2006.
The Lebanese occupation-resistance guerrillas worked directly with leaders of Islamic Jihad, who were based in Damascus, but also recruited gunmen from moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, the security officials and militants claimed.
Operatives of Fatah's offshoot, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, claimed Hizbullah approached them from the first months of the uprising and offered help.
One Al Aqsa leader in the West Bank city of Nablus said privately that his group used to receive $8,000 a month to buy weapons and bullets. He spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing "Israel" would harm him.
However, "Israel" recently complained to Palestinian security officials that some Al Aqsa activists are still in contact with Hizbullah, said al-Nijmi, the Palestinian security officer.
"'Israeli' intelligence is listening to the phone calls between Hizbullah and the Al Aqsa supporters," al-Nijmi said, adding that Hizbullah has started placing the calls from outside Lebanon to avoid some of the monitoring.
"Israeli" analyst Efraim Inbar said he believes Hizbullah's influence in the Palestinian territories is on the rise, but it's difficult to quantify it.
Inbar said "Israel" should be more concerned about Hizbullah's role in Gaza. "We already see Hizbullah methods in Gaza. We know that some Palestinians have undergone training in Hizbullah camps," he claimed.
"Hizbullah is coming," mourners chanted at Thursday's funeral of a Palestinian militant killed by "Israel", his body wrapped in the flag of the Lebanese-based guerrilla group.
A Hizbullah flag, along with Hamas banners, also adorned the home of an "Israeli" Arab (1948-Palestinian) man who gunned down students at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem (al-Quds) last week, killing eight. Security officials claim a Palestinian group is a front for Hizbullah claimed responsibility for the rampage.
Hizbullah has long operated behind the scenes in the Palestinian territories, funneling millions of dollars to militant groups for attacks against "Israel", according to "Israeli" and Palestinian security officials. The Lebanese group's influence has become increasingly visible in the West Bank since last month's assassination of its military chief, Imad Moghnieh, in an explosion in Syria that Hizbullah has blamed on "Israel".
It remains unclear whether more Palestinian militants are simply taking their cue from Hizbullah, or whether the Lebanese group is getting more directly involved in the confrontations in the Palestinian territories, in part to make good on its threat to avenge Moghnieh.
"Israel" has not said whether it was behind the car bomb that killed Moghnieh. But since his death, Hizbullah's leaders have signaled they'll retaliate in "Israel" itself, not just against "Israeli" targets abroad, said Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, a Hizbullah specialist in Lebanon.
"Hizbullah's leaders made it clear that they are in a new stage of their war with 'Israel', and definitely the tools will be changed in this new phase," she said.
However, the extent of Hizbullah's involvement remains unknown.
A group calling itself Galilee Freedom Battalions - the Martyrs of Imad Moghnieh and Gaza has claimed responsibility for last week's shooting attack in al-Quds.
The moderate Abbas government in the West Bank is trying to limit Hizbullah's influence, while the Lebanese guerrilla group has found an eager ally in the Islamic militant Hamas, which controls Gaza.
"Israeli" and Palestinian officials have said they suspect possible involvement of both Hizbullah and Hamas in the al-Quds shooting. The attacker, a 25-year-old resident of Jerusalem, was killed by an off-duty "Israeli" soldier at the scene of the attack. A Hizbullah flag was briefly raised at his mourning tent, along with Hamas banners.
On Thursday, mourners marching in a funeral procession for four Palestinian militants killed the day before by "Israeli" troops in the West Bank town of Bethlehem chanted, "Hizbullah is coming." The bodies of local Islamic Jihad leader Mohammed Shehadeh and another militant were wrapped in Hizbullah flags.
"Mohammed was a big fan of Hizbullah's way of fighting against the 'Israeli' occupation," said the slain man's cousin, Khalil.
Hizbullah enjoys widespread popularity in the Palestinian territories because of its brazen actions against "Israel", including a guerrilla war that pushed "Israel" to withdraw from southern Lebanon in May 2000. Hizbullah's star rose further after fighting "Israel's" army to what some view as a draw in the summer of 2006.
The Lebanese occupation-resistance guerrillas worked directly with leaders of Islamic Jihad, who were based in Damascus, but also recruited gunmen from moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, the security officials and militants claimed.
Operatives of Fatah's offshoot, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, claimed Hizbullah approached them from the first months of the uprising and offered help.
One Al Aqsa leader in the West Bank city of Nablus said privately that his group used to receive $8,000 a month to buy weapons and bullets. He spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing "Israel" would harm him.
However, "Israel" recently complained to Palestinian security officials that some Al Aqsa activists are still in contact with Hizbullah, said al-Nijmi, the Palestinian security officer.
"'Israeli' intelligence is listening to the phone calls between Hizbullah and the Al Aqsa supporters," al-Nijmi said, adding that Hizbullah has started placing the calls from outside Lebanon to avoid some of the monitoring.
"Israeli" analyst Efraim Inbar said he believes Hizbullah's influence in the Palestinian territories is on the rise, but it's difficult to quantify it.
Inbar said "Israel" should be more concerned about Hizbullah's role in Gaza. "We already see Hizbullah methods in Gaza. We know that some Palestinians have undergone training in Hizbullah camps," he claimed.
