The head of the Israeli Shin Bet Security Service, Ronen Bar, said that Israel is determined to liquidate Hamas leaders “everywhere” around the world, especially in “Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar.”
The Shin Bet chief’s statements came in audio recordings broadcast on Sunday by the Kan Public Broadcasting Corporation, according to the newspaper “Kan”.The Times of Israel“.
The recordings stated by Bar: “The Council of Ministers set for us a goal… which is to eliminate Hamas. This is our Munich. We will do that everywhere, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar. (Maybe) “It will take a few years, but we are determined to do it.”
By mentioning Munich, Bar was referring to Israel’s response to the killing of 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team in 1972, when gunmen from the Palestinian Black September organization launched an attack on the Olympic Games in the German city.
Israel responded by carrying out an assassination campaign against members of the organization over several years and in several countries.
The Israeli Internal Security Agency declined to comment on this report, according to Reuters.
Last week, the American Wall Street Journal reported that Israel “plans to pursue Hamas leaders around the world,” once the fighting against the Palestinian movement in the Gaza Strip is finished.
Barr said in the recordings that the threats against Israel over the past year are “unprecedented, and many of them are unknown to the public,” adding: “Our duty is to ensure security and give a sense of security to the citizens of Israel. Unfortunately, we failed to do so on October 7.”
Israel pledged to eliminate Hamas, after its militants stormed the border from Gaza on October 7, killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, including women and children, and kidnapped about 240 hostages.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that the Israeli response, represented by intensive raids and a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip, has led to the killing of more than 15,500 Palestinians so far.
Other than Gaza, Hamas leaders reside in, or visit frequently, Lebanon, Turkey, and Qatar.
Qatar helped mediate a week-long truce, but it collapsed on Friday, causing Israel to resume its strikes on the Strip.
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2023-12-04 07:54:16
