As Israel threatens assassinations, Palestinian armed factions in Gaza are on high alert

Armed Palestinian factions in the besieged coastal enclave of the Gaza Strip are on high alert amid threats by Israel of resuming its assassination policy against leaders who support the Palestinian military operations in the occupied West Bank. 

Speaking anonymously to The New Arab, a security source close to Hamas, an Islamist group ruling Gaza, said, "The Palestinian resistance is dealing seriously with the Israeli threats of attacking its leaders in Gaza, Lebanon, as well as everywhere they are." 

"If the Israeli enemy committed any selly assassination against our fighters, we (the resistance) will not keep silent, and we will respond with an iron hand," the source added. 

On Tuesday, 22 August, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office claimed the security cabinet had decided to "attack terrorists and those dispatching them, either in the West Bank, Gaza, or abroad." 

The Israeli decision came after both Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad publicly supported military operations against the Israeli soldiers and illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank. 

For the past three days, the residents in Gaza have witnessed an increased presence of surveillance Israeli drones in the sky, adding to fears of any new sudden attacks against someone in the territory.

As a result, the sources said, "the leadership of the factions in Gaza and abroad has taken unprecedented strict security measures, including evacuating their positions as well as turning off their mobile phones." 

"Based on intelligence information collected by the leadership, Israel is seriously considering assassination operations. In turn, the resistance's response will be greater than the expectation of the occupation, as it will be surprised by its method and size," said the source. 

Israel has launched several sudden large-scale military operations against the coastal enclave in recent years, usually starting them by assassinating leaders of either Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. 

The last one occurred in May when Israel launched a bloody five-day operation against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement (PIJ), which began with the killing of three senior commanders and their families while they slept. 

Dozens of Israeli warplanes then attacked tens of the military and residential facilities belonging to the PIJ,  damaging hundreds of residential houses.

As a result, the Palestinian resistance factions, including Hamas, which runs Gaza, and the PIJ, launched hundreds of rockets toward the Israeli cities.

At least 33 Palestinians, including six leaders of PIJ and their families, were killed by the Israeli army. At the same time, hundreds were wounded during the Israeli attacks, according to the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza.