Israel’s Mossad to Seek Retribution for Hamas Attack in Lebanon
JERUSALEM (AP) — The chief of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service has made a vow to pursue and hunt down every member of Hamas responsible for the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, regardless of their location. The statement was made a day after the assistant head of the Palestinian militant group was killed in an apparent Israeli strike in Beirut.
While Israel has not officially commented on reports it was behind the killing, David Barnea’s remarks, the head of Mossad, seem to provide the strongest indication yet that Israel was involved. Barnea has made a comparison to the post-Munich Olympics attack in 1972, in which Mossad agents hunted down and killed Palestinian militants responsible for the incident.
Currently, Israel is on high alert for a possible escalation with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia following the strike in Beirut, which killed Hamas leader Saleh Arouri.
In a speech, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah promised revenge for the attack, stating that the action would not go “without response and without punishment.” Nasrallah also warned that since Hezbollah has been ready for a “fight without limits,” any war would be “very, very, very costly” for Israel.
The killing of Arouri has provided a morale boost for Israelis still coping with the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack. Barnea emphasized that the Mossad is determined to hold accountable all those involved in the assault.
Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been engaged in frequent exchanges of fire following the war in Gaza. However, Nasrallah has been hesitant to escalate further due to the potential for significant destruction. Nasrallah reflected the group’s wariness of being blamed by the Lebanese in the event of all-out war, similar to the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
In response to Arouri’s killing, Hezbollah reported that nine of its fighters were killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, while carrying out 11 attacks against Israeli posts along the border.
The strike on Arouri, the deputy of Hamas’ supreme political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was confirmed as being carried out by the Israeli military. Reports suggest that the strike would mark the first time since the war that Israel has reached into another country to target Hamas leaders.
Currently, the focus of the war remains on Gaza, with the Israeli Defense Minister declaring that Israel is seeking a “clear victory” over Hamas. The ongoing campaign has already resulted in significant casualties and widespread displacement of Gaza’s population.
Furthermore, the U.N. has reported that Gaza is on the brink of becoming a public health disaster, with over 400,000 cases of infectious diseases reported since the beginning of the war.
The situation in the region remains tense, with a significant potential for further escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. The region continues to be of concern to the international community, including the United States, which has deployed military assets to the area.