Hamas Claims Responsibility for Fatal Attack in Ariel

The Hamas terror organization claimed responsibility for the deadly shooting attack at the entrance to Ariel on Friday night, in which Vyacheslav Golev, Hy”d, was murdered.

Hamas, in an unusual statement issued on Monday evening, claimed responsibility for the attack and announced that it was the opening of a “new phase” of attacks against Israel.

The statement said that the attack “was a response that is part of a chain of reactions of the Hamas military wing to the aggression against the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Hamas spokesman ‘Abd al-Latif al-Qa’un also stated that the announcement by Hamas’ military wing of its responsibility for carrying out “the heroic attack marks the opening of a new phase in resistance to the occupation in the West Bank and the victory in the al-Aqsa Mosque. This is a reaffirmation of its willingness to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque and thwart any attempt to divide it.”

The two terrorists, Yahya Marai, 19, and Yussef Assi, 20, were arrested less than 24 hours after the attack. It was initially estimated that they were not dispatched by a terrorist organization but one of them is affiliated with Hamas. One of them had previously served a short prison term in an Israeli prison.

Sources in the Arab village of Qarawat Bani Hassan, from which the two terrorists came, say they were affiliated with the Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, leading some Israeli experts to doubt Hamas’ announcement.

Others reports indicate that the father of one of the terrorists, who was arrested for assisting them, was close to Hamas’ former leader Ahmed Yassin.

However, many analysts believe the announcement is genuine and indicates an uptick in Hamas’ campaign against Israel.

Hamas has been behind the wave of attacks in Israel and has incited them, but has yet to take direct responsibility for the attacks.

Israel has yet to respond to Hamas’s announcement.