Hamas Blames Israel for Dubai Assassination, Vows Retaliation

Assailants Electrocuted Key Hamas Commander

Though police are still investigating the attack, Hamas today blamed Israel for the assassination of one of its key military commanders. The commander, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, had survived several assassination attempts in the past.

Mabhouh was reportedly electrocuted to death by his attackers shortly after arriving in Dubai. Dubai police say they have several suspects in the attack, professional criminals with passports to European nations, but that the suspects had already fled the nation.

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal vowed to avenge the killing against Israel, and said that he was confident that they would eventually win the ongoing war with the nation. Israel has yet to comment on Mabhouh’s killing.

Israel does have a long history of assassination of Palestinians through both its military and its spy agency, the Mossad, but rarely takes public responsibility for the killings until long after.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.