» 08/03/2010 12:31 JORDAN – ISRAEL – EGYPT Accusations fly over rocket launch on Eilat and Aqaba Jordan says it has evidence to show that the rocket was launched from the Sinai. Israel agrees, but Egypt claims it is impossible. Hamas denies any involvement and accuses Israel of looking for an excuse to renew its attacks against Gaza. The United States view the incident as an attempt to stop the peace process.
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – Jordan said it had evidence that the rockets that hit Aqaba came from the Sinai. Egypt yesterday said that that was “Impossible”. Israel has more or less openly accused Hamas, which has denied any involvement. Without any definitive explanation for the incident, accusations and counteraccusations are flying all over the place after several ‘Grad’ rockets hit the Israeli town of Eilat and its close neighbour, Aqaba, in Jordan, where it killed one person, injuring five.
"We can now say without hesitation that the Grad rocket was launched from Sinai," said a Jordanian official close to the investigation who was speaking on condition of anonymity 24 hours after the rocket slammed into Aqaba.
"We have strong suspicions about the identity of the group behind this attack," he added, declining to name the group for now.
He added even if “the objective was Eilat and that the rocket fell by mistake on Aqaba, that does not change the fact that it was a terrorist act that cost the life of an innocent civilian and wounded five more.”
Israeli government officials today also said they believe the rockets were launched from the Sinai. Yesterday, Israeli police had said that the attack had come from the Sinai Peninsula, something “impossible” according to Egypt.
For Israel, Global Jihad is the most likely candidate for the attack. A retired Israeli general told army radio that “Hamas joined the Muslim Brotherhood, and perhaps Global Jihad [in the attack], and their aim is to harm Israel.”
Hamas denied any involvement Tuesday. “We had no connection with the rocket attacks on Eilat. We do not want a war." Instead, it said “Israel knows who fired the rockets” and is looking for excuses to renew its attacks against the Gaza Strip.
A US State Department official said the US has "strong suspicions" over who orchestrated the attack, suggesting the rockets were intended to derail the peace process.
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