Gaza’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization urged Palestinian Authority Arabs to attack Israelis throughout Judea and Samaria after the death of Sa’ad Dawabsheh, 32, at Be’er Sheva’s Soroka Medical Center on Saturday.
Dawabsheh died of extensive burn wounds he suffered a week ago when his home was firebombed in a terror attack on the PA Arab village of Duma, near Shechem. In the conflagration, Dawabsheh’s 18-month-old son Ali was killed immediately. His four-year-old son Ahmed and wife Riham both survived. They are suffering serious burns and remain hospitalized at Tel Hashomer Hospital in Tel Aviv.
Hebrew graffiti that included the word “Revenge,” a slogan about the messiah and a Jewish star were found at the scene, leading to suspicions the terrorists may have been Jewish. However, the wording of the graffiti and elements in the writing have given rise to speculation about the identity of the terrorists, who have yet to be tracked down despite a wide security force committed to the effort.
The funeral procession for Dawabsheh, meanwhile, was conducted Saturday from a hospital in Shechem in the direction of Duma under the watchful eye of IDF soldiers, who were deployed all along the route to ensure there would be no violence.
Hamas issued a region-wide call to the Palestinian Authority population to participate in the funeral.
“The burning of this family is a turning point that will launch the start of the third intifada against the occupier in Judea and Samaria,” proclaimed a statement by the terrorist organization.
Dawabsheh’s death “demonstrates the enormity of the Zionists’ crime against this family, the result being that resistance in [Judea and Samaria] has become an obligation and a means of self-defense,” Hamas spokesperson Husma Badran said.
“The murderous settlers will not be deterred unless we initiate attacks – do not wait for them to arrive in our villages and towns,” he urged.
“We have no other option but for a general confrontation with the occupation, without waiting for a decision or the granting of permission from anyone,” he said.
Meanwhile, little Ahmed Dawabsheh is slowly improving, according to a report broadcast on state-run Israel Radio. The little boy has opened his eyes and is beginning to respond to his surroundings, hospital officials said.
