Jerusalem: Weeks after mysterious death of
its commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai, Hamas has launched
an internal probe to determine whether Israeli intelligence
agency `Mossad` has managed to infiltrate the top ranks of the
Islamist movement.
"The assassination of someone as senior as Mabhouh has
rung an alarm bell in Hamas," a senior Hamas official in the
Gaza Strip told `The Jerusalem Post`.
"Only a few people in the Hamas leadership knew about
Mabhouh`s secret activities and movements."
Many people in the movement and Syria were convinced
that Mossad has infiltrated our top ranks, the official said.
"Obviously, the assassination of Mabhouh is a huge
security blunder for Hamas, because it shows that the Israeli
agents are sitting among our leaders in Damascus," he said.
The Hamas leader also said the faction was looking
into the possibility that Israel has infiltrated the Syrian
security services, which are responsible for the safety of the
leaders of all the radical Palestinian groups based in
Damascus.
"We don`t rule out the possibility that the Israelis
or some other security agency that works with them have
recruited a senior Syrian intelligence officer who feeds them
with details about the movements and whereabouts of
representatives of Hamas and other groups, particularly
Hizbullah," he said.
Meanwhile, the Islamic movement, which has complete
control over Gaza Strip, appears to be divided over the
question of whether to attack Israeli and Jewish targets
around the world to avenge the killing of its top operative.
Some Hamas officials warned that "exporting" the fight
against Israel to the international arena would jeopardies the
movement`s efforts to seek recognition by the West.
An unnamed Hamas representative in the West Bank asked
his movement to abide by its long-standing policy of
refraining from attacking Israeli and Jewish targets outside
the Palestinian territories and Israel, the Post reported.
He predicted that despite the threats, Hamas would not
"change the rules of the game" by carrying out terrorist
attacks abroad.
Osama Hamdan, considered the movement`s foreign
minister, hinted that his movement has no intention to launch
terrorist attacks on Israelis and Jews around the world.
"Hamas won`t be dragged to the square where the
Israelis want to take us,"?Hamdan said adding, "Hamas makes
its decisions in a balanced manner and in accordance with the
interests of the Palestinian people."
The Lebanon-based Hamas leader?said his movement does
not make hasty decisions based on "emotional" considerations.
Shortly after blaming Israel for the killing of
Mabhouh, a number of senior Hamas officials, including Mahmoud
Zahar, declared that their movement would seek revenge outside
Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Hamas`s armed wing, Izzadin Kassam, issued a similar
threat.
PTI
