The Israeli Defense Ministry is studying all “legal options” to forcibly remove dozens of senior leaders of the Hamas movement, in the West Bank, and illegally expel them to the Gaza Strip, the Arabs48 news website has reported.It said the Ministry is awaiting the “legal opinion” of the Israeli Supreme Court, before it actually initiates the move.
General Nitzan Alon, head of the Central Command of the Israeli Army, stated that Hamas ‘felt the blow, and got the message”, and that, by the time Israel is through with its current operation, Hamas will be a very weak movement, on both the operational and strategic levels’.
Alon said the army is now at the peak of its operations, and is conducting an extensive military operation that aims at locating the missing Israelis, and arresting all persons responsible.
On Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon vowed that Israel will locate “the kidnappers”, and that Tel Aviv “knows how to get the heads of Hamas, at any time, and any place”.
He noted that the army is conducting a very complicated task which requires time and patience, adding that Israel will not rest “until locating the missing Israelis, and arresting the kidnappers”.
Ya’alon further stated the arrests in the West Bank will continue, targeting members and supporters of the Hamas movement, and that the army will strike down the infrastructure of the Hamas movement.
Although a large number of the kidnapped Palestinians are Hamas members, or believed to be members or supporters of the movement, many are members of other political factions, and others, including children, are just ordinary citizens with no political affiliation.
Yet, it appears that, so far, Israel is not close to actually pinpointing the location of the three missing, believed to have been abducted, Israeli settlers.
The ongoing arrests, home and property invasion, and the massive destruction of Palestinian property in the occupied West Bank, have led to kidnapping more than 260 Palestinians.
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