Hamas officials kicked out of Islamic Jihad mourning tent

High-ranking Hamas members were kicked out of the mourning tent for an assassinated Islamic Jihad commander, reportedly because Hamas refused to strike Israel earlier in the week.

By World Israel News Staff

On Friday, a party of Hamas officials were chased out of the mourning tent for Baha Abu al-Ata, an Islamic Jihad terror boss killed in a targeted strike by Israel on Tuesday.

Members of the two terror groups reportedly sparred on two occasions Friday, Times of Israel reported.

Specifically, a video surfaced showing Islamic Jihad members confronting Hamas officials Mahmoud al-Zahar and Ahmed Bahar when they attempted to pay a condolence visit.

According to the Times, tempers ran high over Hamas’ refusal to participate in Islamic Jihad’s post-assassination rocket onslaught on Israel, which saw the terror group launch around 450 rockets into the Jewish state over the course of several days this week.

“Hamas out,” yelled Islamic Jihad supporters as they hurled rocks at the officials’ vehicle.

A second attempt by Hamas members to visit the mourning tent reportedly ended in gunshots and rioting, with Hamas officials fleeing the mayhem.

According to Ynet, Hamas forces and Islamic Jihad members rumbled later in the day, as the ruling terror group attempted to arrest suspects for the incident involving Zahar and Bahar.

Despite the purported existence of an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire, rockets were launched again from Gaza into Israel on Friday evening, with the Israeli military striking Hamas positions on Saturday.

Israel holds Hamas responsible for all rocket fire that emanates from the Gaza Strip, a coastal enclave ostensibly ruled by Hamas that is now home to a number of radical Islamic terror groups jockeying for power and funds from Iran.