Hamas orders Gaza lockdown as it hunts for leader’s killer
HAMAS has launched a manhunt in the Gaza Strip following the killing of one of its military commanders, which the group says was carried out by Israeli assassins. The lslamist militant organisation has placed Gaza on lockdown as it hunts for the killer of Mazen Faqha, a Hamas leader who was shot dead on Friday.
While it searches for the alleged Israeli hit squad – and any Palestinian collaborators – Hamas is preventing men younger than 45 from leaving Gaza and imposed a media blackout on details of its investigation.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied any role in the killing but Faqha’s death has raised tensions in Gaza and the Israeli military is bracing for potential retaliation from Hamas.
“Israel decided to change the rules of the game, and we accept the challenge,” said Khaled Meshal, the head of Hamas’s political wing.
The 38-year-old Faqha was found shot dead on Friday in his home in Gaza City. Hamas said the killers had used silencers on their weapons and placed the blame on the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence service.
If the killing was carried out by Israel it would be a dangerous and provocative mission as sending assassins into the heart of Gaza is far riskier than carrying out a drone strike.
Alon Eviatar, a former Israeli military intelligence officer, said it was possible Faqha was killed by Palestinian political rivals but that judging from the professionalism of the deed it was more likely the work of Israel.
“For five days Hamas have been searching and they have not found any answers. But they cannot leave this issue without taking any action,” Mr Eviatar said.
Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza since 2007 and severely limited Palestinians’ ability to leave the strip. Faqha was originally from the West Bank and was jailed by Israel in 2003 for an alleged terror plot. He was released in a prisoner exchange in 2011 but banned from the West Bank.