2010 Palestinian militancy campaign

June 2010 West Bank shooting
Location	Route 60, West Bank (near Beit Hagai)
Date	June 14, 2010 7:15 – 7:18 am (approximate)
Target	Israeli police officers
Attack type	Highway shooting ambush
Deaths	1
Non-fatal injuries	1 moderate, 2 light
Perpetrators	Palestinian Fatah claimed responsibility

August 2010 West Bank shooting
Location	Route 60, West Bank near Kiryat Arba
Date	August 31, 2010
Target	Israeli motorists
Attack type	drive-by shooting
Deaths	4
Non-fatal injuries	0
Perpetrators	Hamas

1 September 2010 West Bank shooting
Location	Route 60, West Bank between Rimonim Junction and Kochav Hashachar
Date	September 1, 2010
Target	Israeli motorists
Attack type	drive-by shooting
Deaths	0
Non-fatal injuries	2
Perpetrators	Hamas

26 September 2010 West Bank shooting
Location	Route 60, West Bank near Teneh Omarim
Date	September 26, 2010
Target	Israeli motorists
Attack type	Drive-by shooting
Deaths	0
Non-fatal injuries	2
Perpetrators	Claimed responsibility: Fatah, Islamic Jihad; suspected: Fatah al-Intifada

The 2010 Palestinian militancy campaign was a coordinated effort by 13 Palestinian militant groups, led by Islamist group Hamas, to derail peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The campaign consists of attacks against Israel in which, according to a Hamas declaration in early September, "all options are open". The participating groups also include Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees and an unnamed splinter group of Fatah. Some Israeli and Palestinian officials and analysts familiar with Hamas believe that the true target of the campaign is the Palestinian Authority, which is led by Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah.

Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar was reported by CBS News as saying that Muslims have a moral and religious duty to liberate the land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River, and that armed resistance is the way to achieve this. Al-Zahar has urged Mahmoud Abbas to immediately pull out of peace talks with Israel, asserting that "armed struggle was the only way to deal with the Jewish state."

Hamas leader Hamas military leader Abu Ubaida told the Washington Post in September that the Hamas military wing is operating "in harmony with the attitude of the political wing," based in Damascus, Syria. Abu Ubaida, who is a spokesman for the military wing of Hamas, further said that resistance will be stepped up and that all options were open. “We declare that the actions of resistance have gone into a new and advanced stage of co-operation in the field at the highest levels in preparation for more effective attacks against the enemy.” According to the Palestinian Authority and Israeli security officials, Hamas has the capacity to carry out more attacks in the West Bank, particularly drive-by shootings since these require little planning or manpower, but probably lacks the ability to carry out attacks on Israel inside the Green Line due to surveillance activities and the effectiveness of the Israeli West Bank barrier.

...
Wikipedia