Hamas Says Israel Behind Killing of Senior Operative in Damascus

Hamas on Wednesday announced that one of its senior Damascus-based operatives was killed in his apartment. The announcement gave no indication of the circumstances surrounding what is being called an assassination, but did accuse Israel of being behind the killing. The victim, Kamal Ranaja, served as a top aide to Hamas terrorist Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh, who was killed in Dubai in 2010. His death was also blamed on the Israelis, but the accusation was never substantiated. This time, however, a new scenario relating to the unrest in Syria is circulating. Syrian opposition sources  suggest that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad ordered the hit on Ranaja as punishment and to send a warning to Hamas for its failure to stand by Assad in his fight against his opposition.