GAZA: Hamas said on Wednesday it was searching for a prime suspect in a bomb attack last week on the convoy of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Gaza.
Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, declared a US$5,000 reward for anyone who gives information about the suspect’s whereabouts. It provided no details on his alleged motive or of an affiliation to any militant group.
Hamdallah and Palestinian security chief Majid Faraj’s convoy was attacked by a roadside bomb in Gaza on March 13. They were uninjured.
Hamas security forces put up checkpoints in some Gaza streets, inspecting cars and people’s identification papers.
“Security services are tracing him in order to arrest him,” a statement from the Gaza Interior Ministry said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday blamed Hamas for the attack. His remarks threatened reconciliation efforts to end a decade-old rift between his Fatah faction and the Islamist Hamas group.
Abbas offered no evidence of Hamas’ involvement but said he did not trust Hamas to investigate the incident honestly and that there had been “zero” progress in reconciliation. --REUTERS