Hamas has been able to foil several Israeli attempts to assassinate members of Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, the group's military wing, over the last few months, Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar reported Wednesday.
According to the report, the attempts followed a botched operation last November in the Gaza Strip that left seven Hamas operatives and one IDF special forces officer dead, a Hamas official told the newspaper. publication.
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Gaza-based security sources also noted that unlike previous attempts to on the lives of senior Hamas terrorists, Israel attempted to employ a "silent method" to take out the targets, meant to minimize its footprint on the operations.
Al Akhbar quoted another Hamas official as saying that the group arrested an individual it believes was collaborating with Israel.
The alleged perpetrator is accused of trying to poison at least one senior Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades officer.
Had the operation succeeded, it would have been a major blow to the terrorist organization, the Hamas official said.
"Israel tried to return to the methods it used in the 1970s against senior members of the Palestinian organizations," Al Akhbar quoted one source as saying.
Another assassination attempt was thwarted after security officials successfully intercepted a booby-trapped package sent to a senior figure in Hamas' military wing, the report alleged.
Arrests were made in that incident as well following an instigation by Hamas.
This article was originally published by i24NEWS.
