Netanyahu threatens to kill Hamas leaders 'wherever they are'

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the country's intelligence agency, Mossad, to target Hamas leaders everywhere.

In response to a question about whether top Hamas leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashaal, would be able to control Gaza after the war, Netanyahu said at a press conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday that he has instructed the Mossad "to act against the Hamas leaders wherever they are."

To another question about whether the upcoming humanitarian pause would include Israeli military action against Hamas abroad, Netanyahu said there is "no such obligation."

During the press conference, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant used the same threatening words against Hamas leaders, saying, "All Hamas leaders are walking dead," adding, "The struggle is worldwide," indicating that intelligence agencies will work against Hamas leaders around the world.

Hamas has yet to respond to Netanyahu's remarks.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement on a four-day humanitarian pause, with the start date to be announced within 24 hours.

According to the Qatar-mediated agreement, the deal would include a four-day cease-fire, the entry of 300 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, including fuel, into Gaza, and the release of 50 Israelis held by Hamas in exchange for 150 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.

The agreement also allows for the extension of the pause and the potential release of additional children and women held by the two sides.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

Authorities in Gaza said Tuesday that the death toll from Israeli attacks on the besieged enclave has since risen past 14,500, including more than 5,800 children and 3,900 women. The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.