Israel Is Warned: Attempt To Kill Hamas Leaders in Egypt Means War

Sept. 18—Egypt has uncovered Israeli plots to target Hamas leaders in Cairo and has warned Israel that Cairo will respond to any such attack with force, senior Egyptian officials told Middle East Eye. “Intelligence reports suggest that Israel has been plotting to assassinate Hamas leaders in Cairo for some time, as Egypt had already foiled an earlier attempt during ceasefire negotiations in the city over the past two years,” a high-level security source told MEE.

The senior Egyptian officials’ statements to MEE came in response to threats by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir that Israel would target Hamas in other countries. Israel has already assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was its top political leader and chief negotiator, was murdered by an Israel bomb attack in Tehran, Iran July 31, 2024. On Sept. 9, Israel fighters attacked the Hamas living compound in Doha, Qatar in a failed attempt to kill Hamas leaders and negotiators as they were considering the Trump peace plan.

“Any attempt on the lives of Hamas leaders on Egyptian soil would be considered by Egypt as a violation of its sovereignty and, accordingly, a declaration of war by Israel, which we would not hesitate to retaliate against,” the Egyptian security source said.

According to the source, Egyptian officials have urged their Israeli counterparts to return to negotiations and work toward reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, rather than dragging the region into endless wars and escalating tensions. The source noted that “Egyptian-Israeli relations have already been tense in recent months.”

It is not known how many Hamas leaders are in Egypt.