Hamas says they weren’t involved, although a Hamas spokesman says that this attempt at mass murder “should be hailed as an heroic operation.”
An update on this story. “Israel: Failed Attack In Haifa ‘Work Of Hezbollah’, Press,” from ANSAmed, March 23 (thanks to Mario):
(ANSAmed) – TEL AVIV, MARCH 23 – Lebanese Hezbollah could be behind Saturday night’s failed terrorist attack in the Lev ha-Mifratz Mall in Haifa, where a technical defect in a powerful car-bomb caused only a partial explosion, and did not cause any casualties, reported Israeli daily, Haaretz, citing distinguished sources from the Palestinian National Authority. According to these sources, Shiites have been trying to recruit al-Fatah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad militants in the West Bank for some time in order to perform a large terrorist attack in retaliation for the murder of Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh one year ago in Damascus….
“The power of the blast should have equalled that of 10-15 suicide bombers”, said a bomb-disposal expert from the police. Yesterday Premier Ehud Olmert said that the attack was carried out by a well-established organisation, probably with aid in the West Bank, referring to Hamas. An Hamas leader, Ayman Taha, replied that he does not know who organised the attack, which, he specified, “should be hailed as an heroic operation“. (ANSAmed).