It is believed that behind the [other] attacks is Ahmed Jabari, the head of the military wing of Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip, who opposed the establishment of the unity government between his party and Fatah. Jabari is particularly dissatisfied with the fact that he and his men are not being awarded the positions of power they believe they deserve.

The degree to which Jabari and the Qalqilyah-based cell [Qalqilyah is in the West Bank] are linked is unclear. During the past two years, most of the Hamas cells operating in Samaria [West Bank] had followed orders originating in the Gaza Strip.