Yahya Sinwar
Gaza City: Israel's threat to assassinate Hamas's leader Yahya Sinwar as a reply to Palestinian attacks on the country has invited severe reactions from Hamas and others on the Palestinian front, Arab News reported.
According to media reports, Israel's threats come after Sinwar's recent speech during Ramadan, threatening Israel.
Yoaz Hendel, Israel's Communication minister, said that releasing Sinwar from imprisonment in the Gilad Shalit deal was a mistake, while defence minister Benny Gantz said they were looking at their steps and would make decisions in closed rooms. Likud party's Avi Dichter said that Sinwar should not reach old age, which had a touch of threat.
Meanwhile, Al-Qassam Brigades warned Israel against its move to assassinate Sinwar. Al-Qassam's spokesperson, Abu Obeida, said that 'cowardly' Israeli threats of the possible assassination of any resistance leaders would be countered with an unprecedented response. They will bring 'a new catastrophic chapter' over the Israeli regime's history, he said.
However, it is learned from security officials that after Al-Qassam's statement Israeli army recommended against the assassination of the Hamas leader at the moment. Palestine's Al-Quds newspaper reported that Israel had informed the Palestinian front that the assassination wouldn't be carried out and there won't be any escalation in Gaza.
Sinwar had said in his last speech that the people of Gaza must break borders and advance. Gazan people, resistance and elite alike, should become the "guarantor of the national project" and should use the sword without hesitation and defend their people.
In the meantime, Egypt had made relentless attempts to prevent a surge of crisis in Gaza, which succeeded many times, Arab News learned. Egypt is exchanging messages between the two warring parties with the help of the United States, Arab News was told.
A Palestinian expert in Israeli Affairs, Mustafa Ibrahim, told Arab News that a majority of Israeli journalists are provoking the situation in Israel.