Israel escalating attacks on Hamas

JERUSALEM – The killing of a Hamas leader in the Syrian capital on Sunday marked an escalation in Israel’s war against the violent group, embarrassed Syrian leaders and turned up pressure on Damascus to expel Palestinian militants.

The explosion in a Damascus suburb killed Izz Eldine Subhi Sheik Khalil, a leader of the Hamas military wing, in what was described by an Israeli commentator as an intricate operation in hostile territory and an example of Israel’s long reach.

Veteran Arab affairs correspondent Ehud Yaari, appearing on Israel’s Channel Two TV, said Khalil got into his car parked outside his home, put the vehicle in reverse and took a call on his cell phone just before the blast went off. All this time, another man was watching from a car parked nearby.

“I imagine that Syrian security and Hamas will be saying, ‘wait a minute, someone was here in the area,’ ” Yaari said.

Israel’s ability to infiltrate the Hamas leadership in Damascus is likely to further rattle the group after Israel killed Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin and his successor as Gaza leader, Abdel Aziz Rantisi, in missile strikes this year.

“They (Hamas leaders) have to take more precautions than they are doing now,” said Ali Jarbawi, a Palestinian political science professor. “They (the Israelis) are trying to reach Hamas everywhere.”

Though security officials speaking on condition of anonymity acknowledged Israeli involvement – Israeli Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra told Channel 10 TV, “I don’t have information, and I can’t confirm or deny it, (but) I’m not sorry this happened,” in the only public statement by an Israeli Cabinet minister.

Respected intelligence writer Yossi Melman of the Haaretz daily wrote that the Khalil killing “has the fingerprints of Mossad intelligence agency chief Meir Dagan all over it,” because Dagan favors hitting Palestinian militants abroad.

Hamas, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Israelis in shootings and bombings since 1987, appears increasingly in disarray.

Earlier this month, Syria told the top Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal, and another senior official, Imad al-Alami, to leave Damascus, their longtime base, according to a Palestinian close to the group.

Syrian officials told Mashaal and al-Alami they should find safer territory, the Palestinian source said. The warning to the two Hamas leaders was delivered after the group claimed responsibility for twin suicide bombings Aug. 31 in the Israeli city of Beersheba in which 16 bus passengers were killed.

Syrian officials have denied they kicked out Mashaal and other Hamas chiefs.

Following the Beersheba bombing, Israeli leaders warned that they held Syria ultimately responsible because it continues to host the militant groups.

The killing of Khalil could embarrass Syrian leader Bashar Assad, who appears to have few options. The bombing makes Assad look weak, but at the same time he is under intense U.S. pressure to expel the militant groups and has signaled in recent weeks that he is trying to appease Washington.