Israel threatens to assassinate senior Hamas leader Saleh Al-Arouri

Israel has threatened to assassinate senior Hamas leader Saleh Al-Arouri if the movement’s activities and operations against the occupation in the West Bank continue, local news sites reported on Tuesday.

According to Hebrew news site Maariv and other Israeli media, Hamas replied to the threat saying, “the killing of any of its leaders would ignite a new war that Israel will not be able to handle.”

Earlier this week, Lebanon’s Al Akhbar newspaper reported that two Egyptian delegations entered Gaza and asked Hamas to calm its activities in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

The delegations warned that Israel would return to the assassination policy against Hamas leaders in Gaza, the West Bank and abroad.

Hamas expressed its fury at Egypt and its unwillingness to help Gaza and put pressure on Israel to commit to its obligations towards the besieged enclave.

“The latest visit of the Egyptian delegations to Gaza aimed to waste time,” a Hamas official was reported by Al Akhbar saying, noting that it “did not bear any new news.”

READ: Hamas mulls escalation with Israel, accuses Egypt of delaying Gaza reconstruction