Opinion | Hamas has not given up on connecting the conflict scenes Israel today

In the Gaza Strip, saliva has been swallowed up for too long.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been restrained for the past month and a half over events in Judea and Samaria, especially in the Jenin area.

The restraint, which began with the events of the flag parade stretched almost to the limit until it broke on the night between Friday and Saturday.

Hamas then decided not to act recklessly, on the conditional reflex of an immediate response to the flag parade.

The organization believed that Israel was setting a "trap" for them, and that it was not right to confront it in a situation where it was at the peak of its readiness and prepared for any scenario.

"We will choose the timing and manner of the response," Hamas said.

The argument was that it would be better not to act from the belly, which would have put the organizations in the Gaza Strip in a position of weakness, and as those who are being dragged after Israel.

Hamas leader Yahya Sanwar is a "freak control."

He shaped the DNA of Hamas as an organization that likes to see itself in the position of initiator, ruler, motivator, leader.

If the organization finds itself on the opposite side of the equation as the responding factor, this will usually only happen when there is no choice.

Yesterday, Hamas found itself in exactly this situation.

IDF attacks in Gaza Strip, Photo: Arab networks

Even if it was "only" a rocket, and even if the organization was not very interested in an escalation that could put Gaza into total fighting, its leaders could no longer stand and look on the sidelines.

Hamas' silence on the events in Judea and Samaria, including the continuation of the IDF's ongoing operation in Jenin and the killing of Palestinian militants in the territories in recent weeks has led to growing internal criticism in Gaza.

"Where did the resistance go while our people in the West Bank became a target? Why are there thousands of fighters in the Strip if they cannot fulfill their mission in defending their people?"

This atmosphere created in Gaza is not something that Hamas can contain.

Jihad is even less patient.

In this situation, someone had to take action, when it was clear to everyone what the quickest and easiest "magic drug" was on the way to dispelling the atmosphere of criticism in public opinion, and the subdued rage that the jihadists were carrying with them.

Strategically, Hamas had to respond.

Deterrence and consciousness are two pillars that the organization is not happy to compromise on.

The rocket launch into Ashkelon comes as part of the rules of confrontation that Hamas seeks to preserve with Israel, that is, the equation it created in Operation Wall Guard, which connects all the arenas of the conflict.

Not to be mistaken, Hamas did not give up on Jerusalem.

After failing to prevent the flag parade, the organization last night opposed infrastructure work recently carried out in the beating heart of the East Jerusalem shopping center, a matter that is starting to stir the spirits among East Jerusalem residents who see it as "an Israeli conspiracy to separate the Nablus Gate and Musrara neighborhood."

While Israel is trying to differentiate between the arenas and dismantle the Gaza-Judea and Samaria-Jerusalem axis, Hamas is continuing its efforts to create an affinity between the conflict zones and to position itself as a unifying glue.

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