Palestinian leaders to be assassinated when Bush leaves?

[TonyGosling]

Report: Hamas warned about Israeli plot to assassinate leaders

Posted: 13-01-2008 , 12:49 GMT
haniyeh hamas
A European country has recently conveyed to the Hamas authorities in Gaza Strip that Israel is planning to assassinate senior leaders of this Palestinian movement. An Arabic-language newspaper published in London reported on Sunday that the Israeli cabinet had approved plans to assassinate the former Premier Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal and former foreign minister, Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahar.

Al Hayat newspaper added the implementation of the plan will start after American President George W. Bush finishes his regional visit later this week. According to the daily, Hamas is taking the threat seriously. Sources told the newspapers following the news all the three Hamas officials have taken "unprecedented security steps". They did not elaborate.

It should be noted that Mashaal is based in the Syrian capital Damascus while Haniyeh and al-Zaharare based in the Gaza Strip.

www.albawaba.com
http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Palestine/220897


Hamas leaders on Israeli 'hit list'
Mon, 14 Jan 2008 03:15:20
Ismail Haniya (R), Khalid Mashaal (L)

Israel is reportedly planning to assassinate senior members of Hamas, including Ismail Haniya, Khalid Mashaal and Mahmoud al-Zahar.

The Israeli cabinet had approved plans to assassinate Palestinian democratically-elected Premier Ismail Haniya, Hamas political leader Khalid Mashaal and former foreign minister, Mahmoud al-Zahar, the London-based newspaper, al-Hayat reported on Sunday.

The report cites sources who were part of the former PA unity government as saying that European states informed them that Israel was forming a 'hit list,' on which appear the names of the three Hamas leaders.

It added the assassinations would start after US President George W. Bush wrapped up his Middle East visit later this week.

Hamas on Saturday announced that its security forces had thwarted an attempt to assassinate Haniya.

Ihab Ghissin, a spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, said a man carrying a bag containing a four-kilogram TNT explosive device was arrested during a rally attended by Haniya and other Hamas leaders.

The rally was held in Gaza City to honor Palestinian Hajj pilgrims upon their return, he said.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=38647

[fish5133]

oops, escalation in the offing.

[Skeptic]

http://www.underthecarpet.co.uk/Pages/NewsArticle.php?num=3769

Israelis kill Hamas leader's son in Gaza raid

Guardian Unlimited 15/1/08

Israeli forces have killed the militant son of a powerful Hamas leader in Gaza during one of the bloodiest days of fighting since the group took control of the Gaza Strip in June.
Fourteen Palestinians were killed in today's clashes involving Israeli tanks, bulldozers and helicopters. Eleven of the 14 were described as militants by Palestinian sources.

At the same time, Palestinian sniper fire killed a 20-year-old Ecuadorian working on an Israeli kibbutz.

The spikes of violence came as Israel and moderate Palestinians in the West Bank worked on the new goal of a peace deal by the end of 2008 set last week by George Bush on his first ever visit to the area. Bush is now in the Gulf and due to leave the Middle East tomorrow.

The killing of hardline Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar's 24-year-old son Hussam will inflame Gazan hostility. Hamas has so far sanctioned daily attacks on Israeli forces but refrained from carrying out the attacks itself.

Holding his son's head in his hands and reciting from the Qur'an, Mahmoud Zahar accused the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, of complicity in his son's death. It is the second son he has lost to clashes with Israel - his eldest was killed three years ago when Israel botched an assassination attempt on the father.

"This is the hope of Abu Mazen [Abbas's nickname] and his colleagues, collaborators with Israel and the spies of America," said Zahar.

Zahar said Hamas would respond to today's raid in the "appropriate way. We will defend ourselves by all means."

Today's operation began when undercover Israeli troops moved into the territory to strike an abandoned house east of Gaza City that militants used for rocket-launching, Hamas said.

When Palestinians spotted the force, gunfire broke out, the militants said. Israeli tanks fired at least three shells and aircraft struck twice in the area, Hamas said.

In the course of the fighting, a Palestinian sniper fired from the border area into Israel, killing the volunteer. Hamas's military wing claimed responsiblity.

"The shooting of the Ecuadoran youth demonstrates the necessity of the defensive measures the military is carrying out with pinpoint operations," said an Israeli military spokeswoman, Major Avital Leibovich.

Even as it seeks peace with Abbas's West Bank government, Israel has been cracking down on Gaza militants who fire rockets and mortars into southern Israel and attack troops along the border.

Yesterday, the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, suggested Israel would not launch a broad operation in Gaza, despite repeated assertions by the defence minister, Ehud Barak, that a large-scale strike was inevitable.

Abbas, who has controlled only the West Bank since Hamas overran Gaza, condemned the Israeli raid. "We say to the world and Israel that it is impossible to stay quiet about these crimes," he said. "It is impossible to bring peace under these circumstances."

Hamas's senior political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, denounced Abbas for trying to make peace with Israel. "Shame, shame for those who shake hands with the leaders of the occupation, those who sit with the occupation leaders, and those who give compromises to the occupation," Haniyeh told Hamas TV.

While violence swells in Gaza, Olmert is struggling to keep his coalition intact and broad enough to work towards a peace deal with the Abbas government.

The hardline lawmaker Avigdor Lieberman is threatening to pull his 11-member Yisrael Beiteinu faction out of Olmert's government just as talks move to the key issues in the conflict - final borders, disputed Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees.