"U.S. counterterrorism officials are aware of such talk but haven't seen much convincing evidence to back it up. 'There might be some efforts to bring jihadists into the fold, but there may be less than meets the eye here,' says one American official. Abbas, for his part, may have motives for playing the al Qaeda card at a time when his political future is precarious and he is looking to hang on to support from the United States and Israel."

May 7, 2006 - Khaled Abu Toameh 
Larry Derfner 

"Through Hamas, al Qaeda is entering the Gaza Strip. It is Hamas that is protecting al Qaeda, and through its bloody behaviour Hamas has become very close to al Qaeda. That is why Gaza is in danger and needs help."

July 9, 2007 - Mahmoud Abbas, Csc 

"Text of report by Walid Awad from Ramallah headlined: 'Al-Qa'idah reaches the Palestinian territories, and forms cells in the northern, central, and southern parts of the West Bank. Its influence will not begin before one year'; published by London-based newspaper Al-Quds al-Arabi website on 13 January. While elements in the Palestinian resistance noted that the Al-Qa'idah network has managed to enter the Gaza Strip and some West Bank cities, the security sources explained to Al-Quds al-Arabi that Al-Qa'idah now has three hotbeds in the West Bank, but that no activity has been detected so far."

Jan. 16, 2007 - British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) 
Al-Quds al-Arabi 

"The Israeli Ministry of Defense recently reported that in the wake of disengagement from Gaza, al-Qaeda members infiltrated the evacuated areas from Egypt. This is not the first time al-Qaeda has been spotted in Gaza. There is, in fact, increasing evidence of al-Qaeda influence and infiltration in Gaza and parts of the West Bank. Back in 2003, Israeli forces arrested Hamas terrorists after they returned from al-Qaeda training facilities in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda's presence in Gaza has also been confirmed by one of Hamas' leading spokesmen, Mahmoud az-Zahar."

Dec. 28, 2005 - David Keyes 

"I am not sure there is a real Al Qaeda presence in Gaza, though there are clearly people there who identify with it in spirit said. On the contrary, Hamas wants to be in control there. It would do all it could to stop it."

July 10, 2007 - Yoram Schweitzer 

"There is no al-Qaeda in Gaza. We are different from al-Qaeda. We believe in moderate Islam."

June 26, 2007 - Fawzy Barhoum 

"There is no evidence, either from intelligence or political sources, of the presence of any external and non-Palestinian political influence or presence such as al-Qaeda in Palestine. The attempt to divert attention in that direction is an attempt by some to escape responsibility for what has happened and try to blame non-existent bogey-men."

Jan. 5, 2006 - Ghassan Khatib, MA