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Edited by: Fern Sidman
Israeli intelligence agencies are reportedly preparing an extensive campaign to hunt down and assassinate Hamas leaders worldwide as part of an extended effort following the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip, as was reported by the Wall Street Journal on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given orders for Israel’s top spy agencies to develop plans to target Hamas leaders residing in Lebanon, Turkey, and Qatar. The latter has hosted a Hamas political office in Doha for a decade, providing the terror group with a level of protection, the WSJ report added.
This proposed assassination campaign would be an extension of Israel’s covert operations, known for Hollywood legends and global condemnation. As was noted in the WSJ report, Israeli intelligence has previously used various tactics, including disguises and unconventional weapons, to target Palestinian terrorists in different locations.
Countries such as Qatar, Lebanon, Iran, Russia, and Turkey have historically provided Hamas, designated as a terrorist group by the U.S., with some degree of protection. The WSJ also reported that for its part, Israel, at times, refrained from targeting Hamas leaders in these locations to avoid diplomatic crises.
On Saturday, it was reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushed back against mounting US pressure to cut Ankara’s historic ties with Hamas in the wake of the terrorists’ unprecedented attacks on Israel.
Erdogan said that Washington was well aware that Turkey does not view Hamas as a terrorist organization, as was reported by France24 News.
“First of all, Hamas is a reality of Palestine, it is a political party there and it entered the elections as a political party and won,” he said in remarks released by his office. “We form our foreign policy in Ankara and design it only according to Turkey’s interests and the expectations of our people,” Erdogan added.
A Turkish intelligence official revealed on Monday that his government has reportedly warned Israel of “serious consequences” if Jerusalem decides to target senior Hamas terrorists residing in Turkey and elsewhere outside of the Gaza Strip, as was reported by AllIsrael.com.
“Necessary warnings were made to the interlocutors based on the news of Israeli officials’ statements, and it was expressed to Israel that such an act would have serious consequences,” the Turkish official stated. However, the official did not elaborate or specify what was meant by “serious consequences.”
In a public address on November 22, Netanyahu explicitly revealed the intention to target Hamas leaders globally, instructing the Mossad, Israel’s foreign-intelligence service, to act against them, as was reported by the WSJ. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant emphasized that Hamas leaders are “marked for death,” indicating a comprehensive effort to hold those responsible for the recent Oct. 7 attack accountable.
The plans are evolving, reflecting Israel’s determination to hold Hamas accountable for the Oct. 7 cross-border attack that claimed lives and led to the abduction of over 240 individuals, including Americans and Europeans with dual Israeli citizenship.
While Israel typically maintains secrecy around such operations, the leaders have shown little hesitation in revealing their intentions to pursue everyone linked to the Oct. 7 attack. As was indicated in the WSJ report, this approach mirrors the determination Israel displayed in pursuing those responsible for the Munich Olympics terrorist attack in 1972. The current focus is on strategizing how and where to target Hamas leaders outside of Gaza.
The strategy aims to prevent Hamas from posing a significant threat to Israel in the future, drawing parallels to the global coalition led by the U.S. against Islamic State terrorists in Iraq and Syria, the WSJ report said. Israel’s intention to neutralize Hamas leaders has gained momentum since the Oct. 7 attacks, fueled by the release of a video showing Hamas leaders celebrating and praying at one of their offices while watching live news coverage of the assault, the WSJ reported.
While some Israeli officials advocated for an immediate campaign to eliminate Hamas leaders living abroad, concerns about potential blowback and jeopardizing hostage negotiations in Qatar tempered these efforts, the report added. Qatar has become a central hub for talks, with the Mossad chief and the CIA chief meeting in Doha to discuss efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
The vow by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue Hamas leaders globally has sparked a debate among former intelligence officials. The WSJ report said that Efraim Halevy, a former director of Mossad, criticized the plan as ill-advised, arguing that eliminating Hamas leaders globally may not eradicate the threat but could instead provoke the group’s followers, potentially leading to more severe threats. Halevy labeled the plan as a desire for revenge rather than a strategic aim, deeming it far-fetched.
In contrast, Amos Yadlin, a retired Israeli general who previously led the military’s intelligence agency, supported the campaign, stating that justice demands holding all Hamas leaders involved in the Oct. 7 attack accountable, as was noted in the WSJ report. According to Yadlin, those who planned, ordered, and participated in the attack should either face justice or be eliminated.
Israel’s history includes extensive experience in carrying out worldwide assassination campaigns. The report in the WSJ also indicated that since World War II, the nation has executed over 2,700 such operations, as documented in the book “Rise and Kill First” by Israeli journalist and New York Times writer, Ronen Bergman. Israel’s targeted operations date back to the pre-state era when Jewish defenders of the nascent state targeted European diplomats involved in the British administration of Mandatory Palestine.
However, such campaigns have not always been without complications. According to the WSJ report, in 1997, Netanyahu ordered an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Hamas founder Khaled Meshaal in Jordan. The mission, which involved Israeli spies posing as Canadian tourists, resulted in Meshaal falling into a coma. The WSJ report added that the incident escalated into a crisis, with then-President Bill Clinton intervening to resolve the situation by providing an antidote to save Meshaal’s life. The failed attempt was later acknowledged by Meshaal as a turning point that strengthened Hamas.
Israel continued its targeted assassinations against Hamas in subsequent years. In 2010, a team of Israeli operatives carried out an operation in Dubai, using forged passports and disguises to assassinate Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a key figure in Hamas’ military wing, as was reported by the WSJ. The operation, initially disguised as a natural death, was later exposed, leading to accusations against Israel by Dubai officials.
On the war front, the Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday that they are operating in the heart of Hamas terrorist dens in Khan Yunis and Jabaliya in southern Gaza, according to a report on the i24News website.
Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza, is seeing the heaviest fighting since the Israeli ground invasion began a month ago, said Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, head of the Southern Command, as was noted in the i24News report.
“We are in the heart of Jabaliya, in the heart of Shejaiya and from this evening, also in the heart of Khan Younis,” he said in a statement circulated by the IDF.
“This is the most intense day of battles since the start of the ground operations, in terms of terrorists killed, the number of engagements and the use of fire from the ground and the air,” he added. “We plan to continue attacking to deepen achievements.”
Also on Tuesday, i24News reported that the IDF released names of two captain and three soldiers from a tank battalion who were killed fighting in Gaza. This brings up the death toll of Israeli troops killed inside the Strip since the start of the ground operation rises up to 81.
Staff Sergeant Tuval Yaakov Tsanani, 20, was from Kiryat Gat in southern district. He fought within the 188th Armored Brigade’s 53rd Battalion.
Sergeant Yakir Yedidya Schenkolewski, 21, lived in the community of Migdal Oz in the West Bank. Together with Tsanani, he was a soldier in the 188th Armored Brigade’s 53rd Battalion.
Capt. Eitan Fisch, 23, was from the city of Peduel in the Judea and Samaria region. He served as an officer in the 188th Armored Brigade’s 53rd Battalion.
Sgt. (res.) Gil Daniels, 34, and Capt. Yahel Gazit, 24, were both killed in Gaza, as was reported by i24News. The military reported notifying the families.
Earlier on Monday, the IDF stated three other Israeli troops who fell fighting in northern Gaza.
Major (res.) Ili Eliyahu Cohen, from Beit Nehemiah, a fighter in Battalion 7008, which was formed ‘Hafti Hash’ (551), fell in battle in the Gaza Strip, 23 years old in his fall.
Major (res.) Matan Demari, from Dimona, a platoon commander in the patrol company of the fire brigade (215), fell in battle in the Gaza Strip, 31 years old in Nofo.
In a move that could significantly impact the ongoing war to eradicate Hamas’ infrastructure in Gaza, Israel has reportedly developed a system of large pumps to flood Hamas’s extensive network of tunnels with seawater, the WSJ reported on Monday. This tactic aims to destroy the tunnels and force fighters from their underground refuge but raises concerns about potential threats to Gaza’s water supply, according to U.S. officials.
The IDF completed the assembly of large seawater pumps approximately one mile north of the Al-Shati refugee camp last month. As was indicated in the WSJ report, each of these pumps, numbering at least five, has the capacity to draw water from the Mediterranean Sea and channel thousands of cubic meters per hour into the tunnels, potentially flooding them within weeks.
The Israeli government informed the United States of this option early last month, leading to discussions about its feasibility, environmental impact, and military effectiveness in neutralizing the tunnels, the WSJ report added. U.S. officials have stated that they are uncertain about how close Israel is to implementing this plan, emphasizing that no final decision has been made, and the option remains on the table.
The sentiment within the U.S. regarding this plan appears mixed. The report in the WSJ said that some officials have privately expressed reservations, citing concerns, while others have conveyed support for disabling the tunnels, suggesting that there is no outright opposition from the U.S. side. Israel has identified approximately 800 tunnels, though they acknowledge that the actual network is likely more extensive than reported.
The weekslong process of flooding the tunnels raises questions about its effectiveness, particularly concerning the unknown details of the tunnels and the ground around them.
While an Israel Defense Forces official refrained from commenting specifically on the flooding plan, they emphasized the ongoing efforts to dismantle Hamas’s terror capabilities using various military and technological tools, the WSJ report said.
Hamas has utilized the vast tunnel system not only for terrorist purposes but also to move undetected between houses in Gaza and hold hostages. The WSJ report said that some of the more sophisticated tunnels are built with reinforced concrete, contain power and communication lines, and are tall enough for an average-size person to stand.
Citing a source familiar with the plan, the WSJ reported that the source said, “We are not sure how successful pumping will be since nobody knows the details of the tunnels and the ground around them. It’s impossible to know if that will be effective because we don’t know how seawater will drain in tunnels no one has been in before.”
Also on Tuesday, Israel National News reported that IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated that the IDF is launching the third stage of its ground campaign against the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza with the encirclement of Khan Yunis.
“60 days after the war began, our forces are now encircling the Khan Yunis area in the southern Gaza Strip,” Halevi said, as was reported by INN. “Simultaneously, we continue to secure our accomplishments in the northern Gaza Strip.”
“Those who thought that the IDF would not know how to renew the fighting after the pause were mistaken, and Hamas is already feeling this. Many Hamas operatives, including senior commanders, have been eliminated in recent days,” he said.
The Chief of Staff announced: “We have moved to the third phase of the ground operations. We have secured many Hamas strongholds in the northern Gaza Strip, and now we are operating against its strongholds in the south.”
“We operate professionally; evacuating the population from combat zones; striking Hamas from above and below ground with combined strikes from the air, sea, and land. We are deploying our ground forces into combat with powerful and precise support of fire and intelligence with a high level of accuracy. Our forces engage with many terrorists, target them effectively, in an impressive manner. With our forces are ISA representatives, bringing the capabilities of the organization. Our forces are joined by representatives from across the IDF – this partnership really builds strength on the battlefield,“ Halevi added.
INN also reported that Halevi blamed Hamas for the death toll in Gaza: “Many ask about the destruction in Gaza. Hamas is the address. Sinwar is the address. Our forces find in nearly every building and house weapons and in many houses terrorists, and engage them in combat. We understand that part of their method is the weapons left in the houses. A terrorist arrives in civilian clothing and conducts combat from there. Striking them requires significant use of fire, both to target the enemy but also to, of course, protect our forces. Therefore the forces operate powerfully, while making big efforts to mitigate as much as possible harm to civilians,” he said.
Halevi added that, “The military pressure we are applying and have applied in recent weeks is severely damaging Hamas, advancing the achievement of all the war’s objectives, with the top priority of returning all the hostages home.
“Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet commanders in combat in the northern Gaza Strip. I hear them, I talk to them, they say very clearly – we are ready and willing to do everything to return the hostages, to do everything to strike Hamas and dismantle this organization. And I see their wisdom, they also know how to turn these two missions into complementary missions and not competing things, and we are truly doing everything to return the hostages.”
