As foreign governments flock to condemn Monday's rocket attack in Jordan and Israel, authorities continue to believe that militants in Egypt are responsible. Jordanian officials appear convinced that the rockets came from the Sinai region of Egypt and have even said they know the identity of the group behind the attack—but declined to elaborate.
"We can now say without hesitation that the Grad rocket was launched from Sinai," said an official close to the investigation speaking on condition of anonymity.
Egypt denies any responsibility for the attack. Authorities claim they have a "heavy security presence" in the Sinai Peninsula, and that no suspicious activity was reported in the area.
"These reports are completely untrue. No traces of rockets launched from Sinai were found. Such rocket fire requires logistic preparations that cannot exist in Sinai," an Egyptian official said.
No group has assumed responsibility for the attack so far, but "Global Jihad" elements are considered strong suspects. Israel, the United States and Russia are pinning blame on Hamas, saying the Palestinian group wants to disrupt indirect peace talks between Israel and Palestine.
Hamas denies any involvement in the attack, stating that the Israeli occupation was simply looking for a scapegoat to justify aggression in the Gaza Strip. "Hamas in not interested in leading the Palestinian people into war, while its wounds are still open. The enemy knows we did not fire those rockets," said Dr. Salah Al Bardawil of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Police in the Israeli city of Eilat, claimed the rockets were probably Iranian-made, with a range of approximately 20 kilometers. The rockets were most likely intended for Israel, but ended up killing one man and seriously injuring four others in Jordan's resort town Aqaba.
