Turkish authorities, Monday, said that they informed Israeli intelligence about any attempt by Israel to assassinate members of Palestinian group, Hamas, living in Turkiye – as claimed by media outlets – would result in serious consequences, Anadolu Agency reports.
The warning by Turkish officials, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media, followed a Wall Street Journal story alleging that, amid ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza, Israel also plans to assassinate Hamas members living outside Palestine, including in Turkiye, Lebanon and Qatar.
Ronen Bar, head of the Israeli domestic intelligence agency, Shin-Bet (Shabak), also said in a recording broadcast on Israeli state television, KAN, that Israel is “determined to kill Hamas leaders all over the world, including Qatar, Turkiye and Lebanon, even “if it takes years”.
The necessary warnings against any such action were made to the Israeli officials concerned, said Turkish officials.
Speaking to Anadolu, the officials mentioned that various foreign intelligence services had previously tried to carry out illegal activities on Turkish territory, but without success, stressing that no foreign intelligence service would be allowed to carry out such operations on the soil of the Republic of Turkiye.
Turkish officials have condemned the brutality of Israel’s attacks on Gaza, taking nearly 16,000 lives, and stressed that Hamas – which Israel has said it aims to eradicate – is not a terrorist group.