Aftermath of Israeli assassination of senior Hezbollah operative in Beirut plotting terror attack against Israelis abroad
Hamas’ international operations are currently based in several countries, including Turkey, with efforts ongoing to expand into parts of Europe.
Political motivations appeared to be at the heart of the prime minister’s move. A member of Netanyahu’s Likud Party openly stated that the next Shin Bet chief should come from the “right side of the political spectrum.”
With that, a Likud lawmaker—handpicked by Netanyahu—made the government’s intentions clear: they want a loyalist. A head of Israel’s top security agency who prioritizes allegiance to Netanyahu over the country’s interests. Someone who could block investigations into the prime minister and his associates, even amid mounting suspicions that point to potential harm to national security.
These developments suggest that Netanyahu’s rush to oust Ronen Bar poses a direct threat to national security. The same prime minister who personally approved the delivery of Qatari cash to Hamas in Gaza—despite repeated warnings in 2019 and 2020 that the funds were being used to arm its military wing—now claims to be the victim of a political witch hunt. He says his associates are “held hostage,” a troubling and insensitive phrase, given that 59 Israeli hostages remain in Hamas captivity, in tunnels funded by the same Qatari money approved by Netanyahu.
