Israel vows to pursue Hamas globally, Turkey reacts
Ronen Bar, the head of Israel's domestic security agency, Shin Bet, has announced that Israel is committed to eliminating Hamas globally. "This is our Munich," he stated. Turkey has already issued a response, warning of "serious consequences".
8:57 AM EST, December 5, 2023
Turkey has warned Israel of "serious consequences" should it attempt to pursue members of Hamas living abroad, including those residing in Turkey, conveyed a representative from Turkish intelligence on Monday.
"Interlocutors have received the necessary warnings based on the content of Israeli officials' statements. They have been made aware that any such actions will result in serious consequences," a Turkish official was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Ronen Bar, the head of Israel's domestic security agency Shin Bet, previously announced Israel's commitment to eliminating Hamas globally, even if it requires several years.
Interpreting "This is our Munich"
"We have been mandated by the government to eliminate Hamas. This is our Munich. We will do it everywhere, in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Turkey, and Qatar. It may take a few years, but we are committed to seeing it through," Bar emphasized in a recording broadcast on Sunday by Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
When Bar referred to Munich, he alluded to Israel's response to the 1972 attack when terrorists from the Palestinian group, Black September, killed 11 members of the Israeli team during the Summer Olympics in Munich. Israel's counterattack was a targeted retaliatory campaign against the organizers of the attack.
Israel pledged to destroy Hamas following the attack on Israel on October 7, in which fighters from the organization killed approximately 1200 people, predominantly civilians, and took about 240 hostages.
In addition to Gaza, Hamas leaders reside in or frequently visit Lebanon, Turkey, and Qatar.
Hamas is recognized as a terrorist group by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, and the United States.
