JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Jewish settler killed three Palestinians in a West Bank shooting spree on Wednesday, drawing a threat of retaliation from Palestinian militants which could complicate Israel's withdrawal from the occupied Gaza Strip.
Israeli police said the assailant was a driver who had taken Palestinian workers to jobs in Shiloh, a Jewish West Bank settlement. Once there, he snatched a security guards gun and turned it on his passengers.
Reprehensible! Absolutely Reprehensible!
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which came just hours after Israeli troops began removing settlers and their supporters from several Gaza settlements as part of a pullout which Israeli opponents see as capitulation to a Palestinian uprising that began in 2000.
I have my doubts that there will be any group claiming responsibility. I could be wrong, but this looks a lot like an individualistic hate crime. I hope I am right!
Palestinian militants threatened to renew attacks that they have scaled back in recent months at the behest of President Mahmoud Abbas, who seeks a smooth handover of Gaza.
[sarcasm] Wow! Never expected that! [/sarcasm]
"By freeing the hand of settlers to shed Palestinian blood, the enemy is opening the door for resistance factions to respond to these Zionist crimes which take place during the calm," a spokesman for the Islamic militant group Hamas said.
There was a similar statement from kindred group Islamic Jihad, although it said any retaliatory attacks would take place in the West Bank or Israel, but not in Gaza.
Compare that with what Sharon said about the last homicidal nut-job:
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has denounced a Jewish extremist's shooting rampage that killed four Israeli Arabs as an act of terrorism, and warned that militants could strike again.
Even the leader of the Israeli pull out Resistance group came out denouncing this action. Good for them. I wish we saw the same, heartfelt, denunciations from the Muslim world.
I'm going to go hold my breath now.