Hamas Foils Zionist Plot (Or Did They?)

Wed, Oct 1, 2003 at 3:19:23 pm PDT

It looks like our lizardoid plot to distract Hamas with a false flag operation has worked beautifully: Hamas: Arab State Foils Israel Assassination Bid. (Hat tip: zululizard.)

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Wednesday an Arab state had foiled an Israeli plot to assassinate several of its political leaders abroad.

Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal said the security services of an Arab country foiled the plot "several weeks ago," but declined to name the country or say who was targeted.

"Hamas has received information that cells of the Israeli Mossad intelligence apparatus have started acting in some Arab countries to target Hamas political leadership," Nazzal said in a statement to Reuters.

"An Arab country...captured a Mossad cell preparing to undertake assassination operations," he added. More than one person had been on the target list.

Nazzal said the accused plotters included Arab and foreign nationals but not Israelis. Israeli authorities had no immediate comment on the accusation.

"(Israel's) failure in assassinating Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip pushed it to attempt its destruction in foreign arenas," he said.

The plot, he said, would not intimidate Hamas.

UPDATE: A few more details at the Jerusalem Post, who report that the Mossad is being oddly silent about this story. Hmm. Israel mum on reported capture of Mossad cell.

Israeli security officials remained curiously mum over reports Wednesday that a cell of Mossad agents have been arrested in an unnamed Arab country for conspiring to assassinate Hamas leaders including the group's general secretary abroad, Khaled Mashal. ...

Nazzal initially made the claim on the Islamic website Islam Online, saying their leaders have been warned to take maximal precautionary measures in their movements.

"While Israel persists in its attempts to assassinate Hamas leaders in and outside Palestine, the movement has been able to thwart such attempts by adopting strict security measures," Nazzal said.

He added that Mashal has significantly reduced his public appearances as precautionary measures, and that the group's leaders have ceased all use of cellphones and other communication devices, for fear of being traced.

Senior members of Hamas, as well as other terror groups, have in the past few years resided in Syria.

Israel had sent a cell of Mossad agents on a bungled mission to kill Mashal in 1997. The mission ended a disaster leaving Mashal alive, the agents in Jordanian custody, drove a stake through Jordanian-Israeli relations and ended in the release of Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin from Israeli prisons.

Nazzal adamantly refused to say which in country the Mossad agents were arrested, but Palestinian sources said the unnamed country was Syria. Israeli sources believe it may have also happened in Qatar. Hamas sources in Gaza confirmed the report, but also said they could not say which country hold the Israeli agents. The Gaza sources stressed that the alleged Mossad agents were held only for "planning assassinations," and not caught in an actual assassination attempt.