Canadian tour coordinator: Hamas had no prior knowledge of Dichter visit

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Eli Azran, the coordinator of the Canadian delegation that came under fire Friday while accompanying Public Security Minister Avi Dichter on a tour of an observation point overlooking the northern Gaza Strip, rejected Hamas's claim that it had prior knowledge of the minister's visit to the area. Speaking to Israel Radio on Saturday, Azran asserted that Hamas could not have known that Dichter was visiting the region. He said there were dozens of young and old people on the trip and that the sniper fire was random and could have hit any member of the delegation. Azran commended the 70 Canadian Jews for their conduct. He said the tour's participants, who had come under fire for the first time, were not alarmed and even asked to continue the tour after one of Dichter's aides, Mati Gill, was hit.