Palestinians split over Tel Aviv blast

Palestinian groups have given divided reaction to Monday’s suicide bombing at a restaurant in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

Hamas said the blast was a response to Israeli aggression

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and leader of the Fatah movement, condemned the attack as an act of terrorism.

 

In a statement he said: “This operation does not go in line with the Palestinian national consensus and the … interests of the Palestinian people.”

 

However, spokesmen for Hamas, which recently took over the Palestinian government, defended the bombing as a response to what they called Israeli aggression.

 

Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas’ official spokesman, said the attack was an act of “self-defence” which he said was a reaction to “the continued Israeli crimes against our people”.

 

“The Israeli occupation bears responsibility for the continuation of its aggression. Our people are in a state of self-defence and they have every right to use all means to defend themselves,” he said.

 

Khaled Abu Helal, a Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman, also said the bombing was a legitimate response to Israeli “aggression”.

 

“This operation … is a direct result of the policy of the occupation and the brutal aggression and siege committed against our people,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, Moussa Abu Marzouk, a Hamas leader in Syria, told Aljazeera that “the Israeli side must feel what the Palestinian feels”.

 

“The Palestinian defends himself as much as he can,” he said.

Source: News Agencies