By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Wednesday that Hamas is to be held responsible for the attack in an Israeli terminal bordering the Gaza Strip.
“Hamas controls Gaza and can stop any terrorist activity launched from there,” Livni said after meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “Israel will not deal with the question of which organization carried out the attack. Hamas is the one responsible.”
The remarks came after several Palestinian gunmen infiltrated the Nahal Oz border terminal from the Gaza Strip and opened fire, killing two Israeli civilians and injuring two others. Three Palestinian militant groups claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, not including Hamas.
However, local daily Yedioth Ahronoth quoted an Israeli official in Jerusalem as saying that Hamas was “a complete and central figure” in this attack, taking part in “authorizing it, planning it and perhaps even more,” and the group “will pay the full price on this aggressiveness.”
The stance was also mirrored by Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev, who said Hamas is “responsible and will be held accountable.”