After threatening Jewish targets around the world, Hamas suddenly toned down its pitch and implied that it wouldn't do anything it hasn't done up until now.
Very shortly after the news of the mysterious explosion that killed one of the top Hamas leaders in Damascus yesterday, the Gaza branch of Hamas issued a statement blaming Israel and promising to attack Jewish targets around the world. Within a very short time, however, Hamas headquarters in Lebanon issued a corrective statement saying that the terrorists would restrict their murder to "Palestine" alone.
Israel did not officially accept responsibility for the blast, though neither did it deny it. Following the double bus-bombing in Be'er Sheva three weeks ago in which 16 Israelis were murdered, Israel promised to strike back at Hamas leaders worldwide, especially in Syria. Hamas spokesman Muhammad Nazal said that it's now clear that "these weren't just threats."
Syria also responded with anger at the assassination, which highlighted both Syria's intrinsic connection to terrorism and the fact that Syria is vulnerable to Israeli attacks of this nature. "This terrorist act represents a grave development for which Israel is responsible, and emphasizes its intention to rock the stability and security of the region," said the Syrian statement.
Eyewitnesses said that the explosion occurred just after the target, Iz A-Din Halil, left his home in a Damascus refugee camp and got into his Mitsubishi jeep. "His cell phone rang," a neighbor said, "and when he answered it, there was a sudden explosion, and that was it." Halil, born in Gaza, was deported to Lebanon in 1992, and supervised terrorist cells active within Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
Among remaining Hamas leaders who are still possibly in Israel's target sights are the following:
* Diplomatic desk chief Khaled Meshal, who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Jordan in Feb. 1998;
* his deputy Abu Marzuk;
* spokesman Muhammad Nazal;
* Imad Al-Alami, liaison with the territories;
* Osama Hamdan in Lebanon;
* and Mustafa Kanoua in Syria.
Very shortly after the news of the mysterious explosion that killed one of the top Hamas leaders in Damascus yesterday, the Gaza branch of Hamas issued a statement blaming Israel and promising to attack Jewish targets around the world. Within a very short time, however, Hamas headquarters in Lebanon issued a corrective statement saying that the terrorists would restrict their murder to "Palestine" alone.
Israel did not officially accept responsibility for the blast, though neither did it deny it. Following the double bus-bombing in Be'er Sheva three weeks ago in which 16 Israelis were murdered, Israel promised to strike back at Hamas leaders worldwide, especially in Syria. Hamas spokesman Muhammad Nazal said that it's now clear that "these weren't just threats."
Syria also responded with anger at the assassination, which highlighted both Syria's intrinsic connection to terrorism and the fact that Syria is vulnerable to Israeli attacks of this nature. "This terrorist act represents a grave development for which Israel is responsible, and emphasizes its intention to rock the stability and security of the region," said the Syrian statement.
Eyewitnesses said that the explosion occurred just after the target, Iz A-Din Halil, left his home in a Damascus refugee camp and got into his Mitsubishi jeep. "His cell phone rang," a neighbor said, "and when he answered it, there was a sudden explosion, and that was it." Halil, born in Gaza, was deported to Lebanon in 1992, and supervised terrorist cells active within Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
Among remaining Hamas leaders who are still possibly in Israel's target sights are the following:
* Diplomatic desk chief Khaled Meshal, who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Jordan in Feb. 1998;
* his deputy Abu Marzuk;
* spokesman Muhammad Nazal;
* Imad Al-Alami, liaison with the territories;
* Osama Hamdan in Lebanon;
* and Mustafa Kanoua in Syria.