Hamas shocked Israel and the world on Thursday when it issued a statement condemning the firing of two rockets at southern Israel on Wednesday from the Gaza territory over which it rules.
Of course, the Hamas statement did not condemn the rocket fire as an immoral indiscriminate terrorist act against innocent civilians, but rather as an ill-timed act of "resistance."
Hamas is trying to conduct reconciliation negotiations with rival Palestinian group Fatah, and fears continued rocket fire could harm those efforts.
Observers believe Hamas is only concerned with the rocket fire because it has an interest in accelerating reconciliation with Fatah so that the Palestinians can hold general elections later this year, elections that polls show Hamas is expected to win.
It was also noted that Hamas is apparently not that interested in halting the rocket fire, as its forces are doing far less to stop the perpetrators than they previously did to hunt down and silence Fatah opponents in Gaza.