Can Suicide Bombers Be Far Behind?

The killing of three children in a political attack in Gaza is causing dissention among the Palestinian ranks.

Thousands on Monday evening attended the funeral of three young sons of a Palestinian security officer who were killed by gunmen riddling the car taking them to school with more than 60 bullets.

Intelligence officials accused the ruling Hamas Party of being behind the drive-by shooting, unprecedented in its brutality even for violence-wracked Gaza. The officer had helped crack down on Hamas a decade ago and was twice before targeted by assassins, but was not in the car with his children Monday morning.

At the funeral, mourners held aloft the small bodies of the boys wrapped in white burial shrouds. "I have no words. Words stop at the extent of this crime," said the bereaved father, Baha Balousheh. "I am a father who has lost his children."

"The murderers must be executed," said Gaza's former mufti Sheikh ‘Abd al-Karim Kahlut during the funeral. Kahlut is considered one of the most important religious leaders in Gaza and a very influential figure in the territories.

Mohammed Dahlan, a top Fatah official who was seen weeping during the funeral, said the Hamas-led Interior Ministry, in charge of security, knows the identities of the assailants in the previous attacks, but has not acted against them.

He demanded that the government expose the murderers and bring them to justice, "or else we will take measures which this government has yet to witness." Dahlan hinted that the Fatah movement may respond to the murder in a similar way and hit Hamas officials.

If this keeps up they may start using suicide bombers against each other. Tactics used against Israel will be turned inward. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of peoople.