Al-Quds Report: Hamas Fears Targeted Killings By Israel, Ups Security

By Staff Reporter
Posted on 10/23/19 | News Source: Israel Hayom

Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad fear that Israel will take advantage of the chaos caused by wave of protests in Lebanon to target some of their senior members who are based in Hezbollah-controlled territory.

Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are stepping up security for their top officials based in Lebanon for fear that Israel might try to assassinate them, the Palestinian Al-Quds news network reported Wednesday.

According to the report, the terrorist groups are worried that Israeli security agencies might try to take advantage of the chaos created by widespread popular protests in Lebanon to target some of their senior officials.

A source in one of the terrorist groups told Al-Quds that many of his organization's top officials were currently in southern Lebanon, which is controlled by Hezbollah, and that Hezbollah is supposed to guarantee the safety of their personnel.

So far, the report said, Hezbollah has assigned uniformed security staff to the residences of the Hamas and PIJ officials and is checking all their vehicles to make sure that no one places car bombs in them. Hezbollah is also reportedly helping the groups secure their members elsewhere in Lebanon.

"In the past few years, the Mossad has made repeated attempts to attack senior members of the 'resistance' in Lebanon. Mossad agents have tried to put bombs in the cars of top-level officials and were arrested in 2018," the source told Al-Quds.