Without using drones and without leaving clear fingerprints the Israeli Mossad assassinated one of the leaders of Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip sending a number of messages to the Palestinian resistance inside and outside Palestine that it has the audacity to reach anyone without drawing attention.
Freed prisoner Mazin Fuqaha from the West Bank city of Tubas has been living in the Gaza Strip after he was released in the Wafa’a al-Ahrar prisoners swap deal in 2011 was gunned down upon returning to his home in a building to the west of Gaza city.
The assassination was carried out by gunmen who used silencers firing six bullets at Fuqaha’s torso and then fled the crime scene. Hamas announced the death of one of its military leaders pointing fingers at Israel and vowing revenge.
Mossad fingerprints
The clear marks of Mossad in the use of guns fitted with silencers to murder martyr Fuqaha reminds us of what happened to Tunisian martyr Mohamed Zawari in 2016 and what happened to three Palestinian resistance leaders in Beirut in 1974.
Major General and military analyst Wasif Iriqat confirms that the method time place and tools used to target Fuqaha stresses the fact that Mossad carried out the assassination and that Israel is trying to carry out successful assassinations using silencers to save itself much criticism.
He told the PIC reporter “Israel wants guaranteed assassinations because warplanes bring international criticism and they could harm civilians. Therefore silencers are better at a time Israel is engaged in enhancing its relationships with Arab countries.”
The assassination is dangerous to a great extent as it brought the presence of the occupation back on the ground shooting at its target directly. This requires Palestinian resistance to tighten its security to avoid penetration after years of weak performance of Israeli spies in the Gaza Strip.
General and military analyst Yousef Sharqawi said the fact that the assassination took place using silencers reveals that there is a determination and a well-prepared plan that carries the patterns of Mossad which reminds of previous assassinations against Palestinian resistance in Lebanon.
He told the PIC “They usually use silencers where one operative shoots and the other readily waits in case the first fails to do so. Israel wants to mix all cards and it might have found the suitable excuses to carry out the operation after some home-made projectiles were fired at it recently.”
Significance and Goals
There is no doubt that Israel by assassinating Fuqaha in Gaza started a new phase in its conflict with the Palestinian resistance after the reputation of its army has been damaged and the various criticisms presented by the report of the State Comptroller over the 2014 Gaza war and the differences within the security military and political establishments.
Analyst Iriqat said Israel by assassinating Fuqaha was affirming its concept that the entire land of Palestine is accessible by it and that it has in addition to its long aerial arm a long Mossad arm.
Iriqat opined that Israeli was trying to restore its security glory that deteriorated in the last few years in the wake of disagreements between its political leaders and the security and military establishments which was mentioned by the State Comptroller report of 2016-2017.
He added “The assassination carries a threatening message to all mainly that our hand can reach anyone.”
As shown in the most recent phase in the battle between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli occupation Israel tried to assert its deterrence.
Analyst Sharqawi opined that resistance should not be content with voicing threats and should respond to this assassination or else it would provide the occupation with the audacity to carry out more aggressions and assassinations.
