(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Khaled Mashaal, a prominent figure within the Hamas organization, has called for a renewed wave of suicide bombings in the West Bank, according to reports from Arabic media. Speaking at a conference in Istanbul, Turkey, Mashaal urged Palestinians and supporters of the Palestinian cause to engage in what he termed“actual resistance against the Zionist entity.”
In his address, reported by Sky News Arabia, Mashaal emphasized that the Hamas militant group seeks to reinstate suicide bombings as a method of resistance. This call to action comes amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as frequent Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) operations targeting Palestinian militant factions in the West Bank. Mashaal stressed that the current situation could only be addressed through“open conflict,” reflecting a hardline stance on the ongoing hostilities.
“They are fighting us with open conflict, and we are confronting them with open conflict,” Mashaal declared, framing the conflict as one initiated by Israel on multiple fronts. He specifically referenced the recent assassination of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, 2024. Although Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in Haniyeh's killing, Mashaal used the event to underscore the perceived existential threat to Hamas and its leadership.
Haniyeh, who had been based in Qatar and led the Hamas politburo, was assassinated in Tehran in an operation widely attributed to Israel. His death has escalated tensions, with Hamas vowing retaliation. Mashaal, who was considered a potential successor to Haniyeh before the leadership mantle was passed to Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, used the Istanbul conference to rally support for what he described as an intensified resistance effort.
“I repeat my call to everyone to participate on multiple fronts in the actual resistance against the Zionist entity,” Mashaal urged, signaling a possible escalation in Hamas's tactics.
Mashaal's remarks follow a recent suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, which Hamas claimed responsibility for in conjunction with Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The August 18 attack resulted in the death of the bomber and moderate injuries to one individual. This incident marked a rare occurrence of a suicide bombing in Israel, a tactic that had largely disappeared since the Second Intifada in the early 2000s. During that period, hundreds of Israelis were killed in a series of deadly bombings, leading Israel to construct the West Bank security barrier, a measure credited with significantly reducing such attacks.
In recent months, Israeli security agencies have identified increasing efforts by Hamas and other militant groups in the West Bank to reinstate suicide bombings and similar forms of violent resistance. In March 2024, a would-be suicide bomber was killed while attempting to infiltrate Israel from the West Bank, and several other planned attacks have been thwarted at various stages of preparation.
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