Two Senior Palestinian Officials Survive Explosion

Rami Hamdallah, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, and Majid Faraj, the head of the security and intelligence organization of this government, were targeted in a terrorist explosion on Tuesday, March 13, just minutes after entering the Gaza Strip. Both Palestinian officials survived the explosion, but several of their guards and associates in the convoy were injured. While Hamas emphasized that they had identified the perpetrators of the explosion and would punish them, the office of the Palestinian Authority's presidency attributed responsibility for the explosion to Hamas. According to Ashraf al-Majdalani, a senior official of the Palestinian movement, at least seven of the guards of the two senior officials were among the injured, although their injuries were described as superficial. Palestinian media and news agencies reported that the explosion was designed and executed via remote control of an explosive device placed next to the convoy of vehicles; as this convoy passed along Salah al-Din road towards the settlement of 'Beit Hanoun', the explosive device, which had been placed under a lamp post, detonated. The convoy carrying Dr. Rami Hamdallah and Colonel Majid Faraj had just entered Gaza through the joint ground crossing with Israel named 'Erez' moments before the explosion. The bulletproof vehicles of Dr. Hamdallah and Majid Faraj were unharmed, but the explosion damaged three vehicles at the end of the convoy, which had their guards inside. Meanwhile, Hamas security forces reported that they had 'discovered and defused' another explosive device. Palestinian media also reported the 'arrest of several suspects related to the explosion' by Hamas security forces. Despite the explosion, the Palestinian Prime Minister continued on his path and entered the settlement to attend the inauguration of a water desalination project in Gaza, which was implemented in 'Beit Hanoun'. Rami Hamdallah, during the inauguration ceremony of the construction project in 'Beit Hanoun', while increasing the number of his guards, stated: 'I will return to Gaza again' and expressed hope that 'the process of Palestinian national reconciliation continues'. After the 'Beit Hanoun' ceremony, which lasted two hours, he left Gaza to return to Ramallah in the West Bank via Israeli territory. He emphasized that his presence was initially planned to be limited to a few hours and he was not supposed to stay longer in Gaza. This is the second time in recent months that the Palestinian Prime Minister has visited the Gaza Strip. Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, has not been in Gaza for the past 12 years. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesman for the presidency of the Palestinian Authority, stated that the explosion was 'an attack on Palestinian national unity'. However, Hamas spokesmen absolved their movement of responsibility in this incident, stating that those who orchestrated this act are 'the same ones who have recently attempted to assassinate Hamas officials'. No organization has yet claimed responsibility for the explosion, but according to some Palestinian media reports, radical groups apparently designed this explosion as a 'warning to the leadership of the Palestinian Authority'. Hamas has held power in Gaza for the past eleven years and, despite a national reconciliation agreement, has not yet transferred governmental powers to the Palestinian Authority. According to the national reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas, which was achieved this autumn with the mediation of Egyptian intelligence, the Palestinian Authority was supposed to take full responsibility for Gaza's affairs by forming a 'national unity government' four months ago.