A car bomb, allegedly planted by the Israeli military, killed two teenage boys and left scores injured on Wednesday night in the old city of Nablus in the West Bank, said local medical officials.
Hamas, the majority party in the Palestinian National Authority, criticized the assassination that came days before a possible meeting between Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, said Hamas in a statement.
Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, reported that the Israeli attack failed to assassinate its target Sufian Qandeel, one of the organization’s brigade leaders.
A Hamas spokesperson said that Israel continuously carries out military operations – invasions, assassinations, and abductions – in the occupied territories, and lies to the international community about it.
‘The assassination of the identified Mahmoud Fatayer,18, and Wajdi Al Amoodi,18, is a message directed to Olmert-Abbas meeting that supposed to be held in the coming days,’ said the Hamas spokesperson. Israeli attacks are likely to continue despite such meetings, he said.
Hamas is outraged at the violent act and calls on the international community to condemn Israel for the killings of children and the abuses of human rights in Palestine, the spokesperson said. Hamas appealed to all groups in support of the Palestinian cause for solidarity and unity, said the organization’s statement.
