Turkish officials say Ankara has warned Tel Aviv of serious consequences if Israel pursues Hamas outside the Palestinian territories.
"The necessary warnings were sent to the contact point based on information about the statements of Israeli officials. We stressed to the Israeli side that such actions will lead to serious consequences," a Turkish intelligence official said today, without revealing specific consequences or Israel's response.
Israeli officials have not commented on the information.
Israeli tanks deployed near the Gaza Strip on December 3. Photo: AFP
In an audio recording published by Israel's Kan television channel on December 3, Ronen Bar said the cabinet had given them the goal of "eradicating Hamas." "We will do it everywhere. It may take years, but we will do it," the Shin Bet leader said.
The Wall Street Journal previously quoted unnamed Israeli officials as saying that with orders from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the country's top intelligence agencies are planning to hunt down Hamas leaders living in countries such as Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar.
The operation would be an extension of years of covert operations by Israeli intelligence that have been criticized around the world.
Regional countries such as Qatar, Lebanon, Iran, and Türkiye have long provided safe havens for senior Hamas members. Israeli intelligence has generally avoided targeting these countries to prevent unwanted diplomatic crises.
Israel has vowed to “eradicate Hamas” after the militant group’s October 7 raid. Hamas-controlled Gaza’s health ministry said nearly 15,900 people were killed in Tel Aviv’s retaliation.
Vu Anh (According to Reuters )
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