GAZA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chief of security in the Gaza Strip, Gen. Tawfiq Abu Ne'em, who survived an assassination attempt said Saturday that Israel is the only beneficiary of trying to kill him.
It was Abu Ne'em's first appearance after he survived an assassination attempt on Friday afternoon, where a bomb placed under his car exploded and moderately wounded him.
Laying on a bed at his home in central Gaza, Abu Ne'em, a senior Islamic Hamas official, said in a short video interview published by Gaza interior office that the only beneficiary of causing chaos "is the occupation (Israel)," adding "the attempt to kill me won't influence or stop the train of internal reconciliation."
"We are so close to leave the internal division and start a new life for Gaza populations and for all Palestinians when the crossing points are to be handed over to the Palestinian authority on Nov. 1," said Abu Ne'em.
"As soon as I recover, I will get back to work with more power and more insistence to continue what we started until we achieve our goals of unity and end of feuds and splits," he added.
According to Gaza security sources and eyewitnesses, the incident occurred after Friday prayers, when Abu Ne'em got into his Jeep and suddenly a bomb, which was put under his car, exploded.
Medical sources said that Gen. Abu Ne'em was moderately injured in his leg, back and head. The security sources and the eyewitnesses confirmed that he was injured and that he was taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
The interior ministry office in Gaza said the security apparatuses immediately closed the area of the incident, and started an investigation.
No one has claimed responsibility for the failed assassination attempt.
Abu Ne'em had spent 22 years in Israeli prisons and was released in October 2011 in the Egyptian-brokered prisoners swap deal reached between Hamas and Israel. He was named as the chief of security forces in the Gaza Strip in 2015.
