Islam Times - Haniyeh warns against renewal of Israel’s targeted killings of Hamas leaders

Islam Times - Ismail Haniyeh, who heads the Political Bureau of Hamas, has written to leaders of countries in the region and beyond to warn against the consequences of any targeted assassination by Israel of the Palestinian resistance movement’s leaders.

In the letters, Haniyeh said Israel’s resumption of policies to eliminate Hamas leaders will have “repercussions beyond estimation,” his media adviser, Taher al-Nunu said on Wednesday.

Tension has been rising across the Palestinian territories amid repeated Israeli arrest campaigns in the occupied East Bank and settler incursions into the flashpoint al-Aqsa Mosque complex in al-Quds.

Several Israeli figures have called on the Israeli regime to assassinate Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, in Gaza in retaliation for attacks on Israelis.

Earlier this month, The Times published a report, alleging that Israeli authorities had informed Western allies that the occupying regime was preparing hit squads to target Hamas leaders living abroad.

Al-Nunu said Haniyeh warned in the messages that targeted assassinations of Hamas leaders will bring the people and the resistance into a full-scale conflict and the “Zionist regime will pay an unknown price.”

The Hamas cheif, Al-Nunu added, urged the leaders to note Israeli regime’s statements and more aggressive tone while working out plans to assassinate Hamas leaders namely Yahya Sinwar, Zaher Jabarin, Saleh al-Arouri, Mohammed Deif.

Haniyeh also called on these countries to convey the message to Israel and warn the regime against the consequences of acting on such criminal threats.

Meanwhile, Mahmoud Al-Zahar, a senior Hamas official, has said that the factions in the Gaza Strip have established a certain "deterrence" which is making the Israeli occupation army hesitant about carrying out any major aggression or assassinations of resistance leaders.

The Hamas official also added that regional and international mediation with the movement has increased in order to avoid any escalation, saying that the mediation has conveyed Israel's desire to preserve calm and not escalate to war.

Al-Zahar warned of a "decisive response" if Israel assassinates the movement's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.