Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said that Hamas leaders abroad are officially “on the target list,” stressing that Tel Aviv will not allow those he described as “despicable killers” participating in the October 7 attack to die peacefully in their beds.
Katz’s statements came in conjunction with what was published by the Israeli newspaper “Maariv”, through journalist Avi Ashkenazi, and the Italian newspaper “Il Foglio”, about reports that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, held a secret meeting in Abu Dhabi with Saddam Haftar, deputy commander of the forces of eastern Libya and the son of its leader Khalifa Haftar, who arrived in the Emirates on board a Libyan civilian plane, at a time when no official confirmation was issued from the Israeli or Libyan sides regarding this meeting.
In the security context, Israeli reports highlight increasing interest from the security establishment in the Libyan arena and what the Israelis call the “Libyan corridor,” amid fears of Hamas’s attempts to build infrastructure and logistics in Libya, especially in light of Turkish influence there, which is closely monitored by Israeli intelligence.
During his official announcement of the assassination of Izz al-Din Bey, commander of the Northern Gaza Strip Brigade, in a joint strike by the army and the Shin Bet, Katz announced that liquidation operations are continuing to undermine Hamas’ military capabilities and in preparation for its disarmament. He threatened to say that foreign leaders who previously survived “due to a defect” will be sent next time to “the depths of hell.”
This escalation comes amid previous reports indicating shifts in the positioning of Hamas’s external leadership, including news of efforts to transfer part of operations from Qatar to Turkey, while the Libyan arena currently remains within the circle of intelligence reports and press estimates and is not an officially declared military target.
For his part, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during his visit to the Tel Nof air base, warned of possible attempts at attacks against Israel as the election date approaches, sending a message that “Israel’s long arm will reach enemies everywhere and at all times.” These are statements that sparked internal political controversy because they coincided with the electoral context.
