[News] ‘In the Crosshairs’: Israel Katz Threatens Hamas Leaders Abroad

[Anti-Imperialist News]

palestinechronicle.com
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/in-the-crosshairs-israel-katz-threatens-hamas-leaders-abroad/>
‘In the Crosshairs’: Israel Katz Threatens Hamas Leaders AbroadSeptember
30, 2026
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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. (Photo: Video grab)

*By Palestine Chronicle Staff
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/palestine-chronicle-staff>*

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened Hamas leaders abroad with
assassination after a Gaza City strike killed a senior commander.

*Key Developments*

   - Katz said Hamas leaders outside Palestine remained Israeli targets and
   invoked last year’s failed strike on the movement’s leadership in Qatar.
   - His threat followed an Israeli strike in Gaza City that killed Izz
   al-Din al-Beik, commander of the Qassam Brigades’ Northern Gaza Brigade.
   - Qatar had been hosting negotiations when Israel struck Hamas leaders
   in Doha in September 2025.

*Katz Threatens Hamas Leaders Abroad*

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened on Tuesday to assassinate
Hamas leaders outside Palestine, saying they remained targets following the
killing of a senior Qassam Brigades commander in Gaza City.

“The Hamas leaders abroad are also in the crosshairs,” Katz said in a video
statement reported by The Times of Israel. He said Israel would continue
pursuing Hamas figures whom it holds responsible for the October 7, 2023,
operation.

Katz referred directly to Israel’s attempt to kill Hamas political leaders
in Qatar last year. “Once they escaped due to a malfunction,” he said,
before threatening another attempt. He did not name the leaders he intended
to target or say where Israel might strike.

His remarks extended the threat beyond Gaza at a time when Israel has
continued attacks inside the Strip despite the ceasefire agreement. They
also revived the prospect of another Israeli operation on the territory of
a country involved in mediation.
*Threat Follows Killing of Qassam Commander*

Katz’s statement followed an Israeli strike on a residential apartment in
the Al-Nasr neighborhood, west of Gaza City, early Tuesday. The attack
killed Izz al-Din al-Beik, commander of the Qassam Brigades’ Northern Gaza
Brigade, and Muhannad Abu Foul. Others were injured.

Hamas confirmed al-Beik’s death. Israeli authorities identified him as the
commander of the northern Gaza brigade, and Katz cited the killing in his
statement as part of Israel’s continuing campaign against the movement’s
leadership.

Al Mayadeen reported that Palestinian health officials said another person
later died from wounds sustained in the strike. The attack also injured
other Palestinians, including children, according to medical accounts from
Gaza City.

The strike was among a series of Israeli attacks across Gaza on Tuesday.
Israeli gunfire also killed Ahmed Abu Mur on Salah al-Din Street in Deir
al-Balah, while shelling and demolitions were reported elsewhere in the
Strip.
*Doha Attack Returns to the Fore*

Israel struck Hamas political leaders in Doha in September 2025 while Qatar
was hosting negotiations. The intended targets survived, and Qatar
condemned the attack as “state terrorism” and a violation of its
sovereignty.

Katz’s reference to their escape made that earlier operation central to his
new threat. According to The Times of Israel, he said another opportunity
to target the leaders would come, making clear that Israel had not
abandoned its pursuit of them after the Doha strike failed.

Qatar’s role as a mediator gave the attack consequences beyond the
immediate targets. At the time, Qatari authorities said the Israeli strike
undermined mediation efforts. Katz’s latest statement again raised the
possibility of an Israeli assassination attempt outside Palestine, though
he gave no location or timetable.

*(PC, Times of Israel, Al Mayadeen)*
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