Israeli army chief threatens to assassinate Hamas leaders abroad

ISTANBUL

Israel’s Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir threatened Sunday to assassinate Hamas leaders abroad, as Tel Aviv continued its destructive war on the Gaza Strip.

“Our actions are not yet complete; most of the remaining Hamas leadership is abroad, and we will reach them as well,” Zamir said in comments cited by a military statement.

He said the Israeli army is “operating offensively, with initiative and operational superiority, across all arenas and at all times,” including “significant IDF (army) strikes in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and other arenas.”

Early on Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed that Hamas’ military spokesman Abu Obeida was killed in a joint operation launched by the army and the Shin Bet domestic security agency in Gaza.

There was no confirmation from Hamas of the Israeli claim.

Israel has killed nearly 63,500 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.