Hamas threatens: We can reach Israelis abroad
On heels of assassination of senior Hamas figure al-Mabhouh in Dubai, Islamist group says will send team to emirate to probe killing. Al-Zahar: Israel knows we can strike any time, anywhere
Hamas said Saturday it plans to send representatives to Dubai to take part in a joint investigation into the assassination of senior organization member Mahmoud al-Mabhouh 10 days ago.
Al-Mabhouh was responsible for the kidnapping and killing of IDF soldiers Aviv Sasportas and Ilan Saadon. Hamas claims Israel was behind his death.
Hamas spokesman Aiman Taha said he expects authorities in Dubai to cooperate with the investigation team, adding that "the Zionist enemy will pay a heavy price for this crime."
Senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Zahar said Saturday Israel would be solely responsible for the "repercussions" of taking the conflict to the international arena.
"Israel knows Hamas can hit all Israeli targets abroad – any time, anywhere," he said.
"We have maintained that the confrontation between us and the Israeli enemy be within the occupied land. Israel wants to change the rules of the game and to open the international field for battles - so it will be responsible for this," al-Zahar said, 'We are waiting with our response so that it will be a worthy one."
Mahmoud al-Mabhouh's funeral in Damascus (Photo: AFP)
Another senior Hamas figure, Osama Hamdan, said the Islamist group will boost security around Hamas representatives in Arab and European countries.
Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, blamed Mossad for the assassination, saying the hit has "expanded the circle of Zionist assassinations, and it has now penetrated deep into Arab and Islamic states.
"There are clear signs that the Zionists aim to spill the blood of the Arab and Islamic nation," he said.
Abu Obeida added that it was the duty of the Arab countries to "sever the long arm of the Zionist entity before Mossad has a chance to wreak havoc."
Earlier Saturday, al-Zahar claimed that al-Mabhouh's assassins arrived in the region as part of Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau's entourage.
Landau recently took part in an environmental convention in Abu-Dhabi. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, al-Zahar said it was possible the assassins had come with him and entered Dubai under assumed identities, using false passports.
A senior source in Dubai said Friday afternoon that local police had managed to identify the men suspected of assassinating al-Mabhouh.
According to the official, the police were conducting a manhunt for the suspects, who he said have European passports, and had even appealed to the Interpol for help. He added, however, that the two had apparently left the emirate.
Roee Nahmias contributed to the report
