A Hamas bureau member in Gaza, Suhail al-Hindi, let slip the word "shahid" (martyr) on Wednesday morning during a live broadcast on the Al-Jazeera network while discussing the assassination attempt against senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya in the Israeli Air Force attacks in Doha, Qatar. According to Israeli sources, it remains unclear whether al-Hayya was eliminated.
Video: The slip-up by Hamas official / Credit: Social media
During his comments to the Qatari Al-Jazeera network, Suhail al-Hindi, a Hamas bureau member in Gaza who departed the Strip before the war, stated, "A group of martyrs were killed, chief among them Jihad Labad, who is the director of the office of the Hamas leader of Gaza. In addition to Hamam al-Hayya, and , the son of the martyred commander, he is the son of the dear brother Khalil al-Hayya, in addition to a group of companions, and contact was lost with them, as we said. And they are Khalil al-Ha... uh... Hamam Khalil al-Hayya, Abdullah Abd al-Wahd, Mu'man Hassuna, Ahmad Abd." It is clear if this was a slip of the tongue or confusion from al-Hindi, who appeared stressed during the interview.
Qatari officials allege that the US and Israel assured them just last month that senior Hamas officials would not be harmed on Qatari soil. This was reported on Wednesday morning by senior Washington Post columnist David Ignatius.
The name selected for the operation is "Summit of Fire." Israel is monitoring the strike's outcome, and regardless, the attack in Doha itself holds significance, as senior Hamas officials now realize they have no safe haven after believing they were immune in Qatar.
Consequently, according to a security official, Tuesday night's strike could, in any event, bring about a change and compel Hamas "toward a desire to end the war out of fear for their lives."
