Israel security cabinet to meet today after Hamas leader's call for suicide bombing

Tel Aviv, Aug 29 : After former Hamas Chief Khaled Mashal called for resumption of suicide bombings, the Israeli security cabinet will meet on Thursday to discuss the situation.

The Arab media reported that in a public programme at Istanbul (Turkey) on Wednesday, Mashal said that the Hamas will have to resume to suicide bombings within Israel.

The media quoting Mashal saying, "Actual resistance against the Zionist entity is the need of the hour."

The former Hamas Chief also called upon the Palestinians and supporters of the Palestinian cause to resume the suicide bombings within Israel.

Mashal was reported to have said, "They (Israel) are fighting us with open conflict, and we (Hamas) are confronting them with open conflict."

On August 18, 2024, there was a bomb explosion in Tel Aviv for which Hamas had claimed responsibility and had announced that it would conduct similar bombings within Israel in the coming days.

A person was injured in the bomb attack in which the suicide bomber was immediately killed when a bomb detonated inside the back pack which he was carrying.

Suicide bombings in Israel have been rare since the Second Intifada which began on September 28, 2000, after Israeli leader Ariel Sharon visited the 'Temple Mount‘ which was considered provocative by the Palestinians.

Hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians were killed in a series of deadly bombings that took place after the visit of Sharon.

The Israel security cabinet is scheduled to meet on Thursday evening in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant will participate, among others.

Sources in the Israel Defence ministry told IANS that the meeting will discuss among other things, the suicide threat announced by the Hamas leader Khaled Mashal.

Mossad Director David Barnea and Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar will be attending the security cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Sources also said that Israel would be aiming for increasing its security along border regions, including West Bank borders, in northern Israel and near the Gaza border in southern Israel.

More than this the security cabinet and Israel intelligence agencies will step up the security in important cities of Israel like Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and all the key towns.

It may be noted that after the back-to-back murders of Hezbollah military head, Fuad Shukr on July 30 in Beirut and the shocking assassination of the most popular global face of Hamas -- its political bureau head, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran on July 31 has led to a series of rethinking within both Hezbollah and Hamas.

While Israel has acknowledged the killing of Shukr, it did not accept or deny the murder of Haniyeh in Tehran.