Israel Threatens: Hamas Leaders Abroad on Target List

Listen to the article. The audio text is automatically generated by a machine system.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant threatened on Tuesday to target senior Hamas leaders located outside the Gaza Strip, asserting that they remain on Israel's "target list."

Gallant's statements came hours after the killing of Izz al-Din al-Bayek, commander of the northern Gaza Brigade of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing, in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City. Hamas confirmed al-Bayek's death, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gallant stated that he was involved in planning attacks and recruiting fighters.

Gallant said in a video statement that the Israeli army killed the northern Gaza commander "as part of a series of ongoing operations against Hamas leaders in Gaza," before adding that "Hamas leaders abroad are also on the target list."

The Israeli Defense Minister vowed to pursue those he said played a central role in the October 7, 2023 attack, asserting that Israel would not allow them, as he put it, to escape targeting.

Katz directly referred to the Israeli strike that targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar last year, stating that they "survived once due to a malfunction," adding that "the next time will come," in a clear threat of renewed attempts to target the movement's leadership abroad.

The Israeli Defense Minister did not provide details about the nature of the "malfunction" that he said prevented the killing of the movement's leaders in the previous strike, nor did he specify the names of the leaders currently on the target list or the countries that could be included in potential Israeli operations.

Katz's statements come as part of an announced Israeli policy to pursue Hamas leaders both inside and outside the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army claims that the movement has leaders and networks operating from several countries outside Palestinian territories, and considers that they play roles in funding and managing the movement's activities, which are Israeli accusations related to the nature of those leaders' activities.

Katz's threat coincided with Israel intensifying its targeting of leaders of the Al-Qassam Brigades in the Gaza Strip during September.

Netanyahu and Katz announced in mid-month the targeting of the commander of the Rafah Brigade in the Al-Qassam Brigades, days after Israel announced the killing of the commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, stating at the time that their message is that "no one is immune" from targeting.

On Tuesday, Israel announced the killing of the commander of the Northern Gaza Brigade, Izz al-Din al-Bayek. According to Palestinian and Israeli reports, the airstrike targeted an apartment in the Nasser neighborhood of Gaza City, while Hamas confirmed his death. Thus, al-Bayek became the third brigade commander of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades that Israel has announced killed in recent weeks, following the commanders of the Khan Younis and Rafah brigades, according to the "Times of Israel."

Katz's new statements indicate that the targeting campaign mentioned by Israel is not limited to Hamas leadership inside Gaza, as the Israeli defense minister has placed the movement's leaders abroad in the direct threat circle, recalling the previous targeting attempt in Qatar, without revealing the timing or details of any upcoming operation.