Hamas’s new chief Sinwar is hiding in Gaza fearing Israel’s continuous attacks. Meanwhile, Hamas’s top commander and dreaded terrorist Khalid Mashal has warned of a major attack against Israel. Mashal called upon Palestinians in a gathering in Istanbul to enter Israel and carry out suicide attacks. Israel had tried to kill Mashal, who was a teacher by profession, by poisoning him in Jordan years ago. To save Mashal who was battling for life in the hospital, the then President had asked for an antidote to the poison from Israel, because he feared riots might break out in the country. After much coaxing, Mashal’s life was saved.
According to Arabic media, Hamas’ top commander Khaled Mashaal called for the resumption of suicide bombings in the West Bank and encouraged supporters of the Palestinian movement to openly revolt against Israel. According to Sky News Arabia, during his address at a conference in Istanbul, Turkey, Mashaal said that the Hamas terrorist group should now “start suicide attacks” against Israel. Mashaal has been frustrated by Israel’s rapid attacks against Hamas over the past few months.
Who is Hamas’s dreaded commander Mashal
Khaled Mashal was born in 1956 in Silwad in the Jordanian-ruled West Bank. His father, Abd al-Qadir Mashal, was a farmer and later became an imam. When Israel occupied the West Bank after the 1967 Israeli-Arab Six Day War, Mashal’s family fled to Jordan, where he received his education and later joined the Muslim Brotherhood. At the age of 19, Mashal visited historic Palestine for the first time since the occupation in 1967 for two months in 1975. After graduation, Mashal worked as a teacher in Kuwait until 1984. When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, he fled back to Jordan with Hamas militants.
Israel itself gave medicine after poisoning
On 25 September 1997, on the orders of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad tried to assassinate him. Mossad agents arrived in Jordan posing as tourists on fake Canadian passports and found an opportunity in the Hamas office and placed a device on Mashal’s ear. The poison entered Mashal’s body through his ear. Some Mossad agents were also arrested in this attack. Meanwhile, Mashal was brought to the hospital but his condition was not improving.
Then Jordan’s then King Hussein asked Netanyahu for an antidote for the poison. He threatened to break diplomatic relations and prosecute the captured Mossad agents. Actually, the King of Jordan feared that in case Mashal died, a civil war could break out in the country. After the intervention of US President Bill Clinton, Netanyahu had to give an antidote to save Mashal.