Threats from Israel’s Shin Bet don’t frighten us, Hamas leader says, mocking Israeli politics

Israel’s security establishment is increasing alertness on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

By World Israel News Staff

Ronen Bar, director of Israel’s Security Agency, the Shin Bet, sent a warning Saturday night to Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, saying he should watch his steps and decide whether he is truly interested in the rehabilitation of the Strip, Hebrew-language N12 news reported.

The following morning, on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, the Hamas spokesman responded that threats from the Shin Bet do not frighten anyone.

“This is a political impasse,” he said, referring to the Israeli political situation, with the fifth election in less than four years scheduled for November that still may not result in a decisive victory by any candidate.

“The threats made by Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar against the leader Yahya Sinwar are not new,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum declared. “They do not frighten our Palestinian people or the resistance leadership,” he said.

The Shin Bet’s warning “reflects a political, security and military deadlock from which the leaders of the ‘occupation’ suffer” as a result of the Palestinian “resistance.”

The Shin Bet recently identified a pattern of increasing direction by Hamas members regarding acts of terror carried out in the Palestinian Authority-administered territories of Judea and Samaria, N12 notes.

In the past year, there has been an alarming rise in the number of deadly attacks as well as increasing efforts by the terrorist organizations to initiate attacks. In response, the IDF launched Operation Wave Breaker, conducting counterterrorism raids in terrorist hotbeds in Judea and Samaria.

The operation is ongoing. On Saturday night, forces from the IDF, the Shin Bet and the Border Police arrested four wanted suspected terrorists throughout Judea and Samaria.

“Yahya Sinwar will have to choose between the rehabilitation of Gaza and the path of resistance. It is not possible to do both at the same time,” the counterterrorism agency stated, referring to requests for humanitarian aid for the Gaza population coupled with the direction of terror attacks in Judea and Samaria.

Meanwhile, Israel has increased the quota of workers coming to work in the country from the Gaza Strip by an additional 1,500, the IDF’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced Thursday.

Israel’s security establishment is increasing alertness on the eve of the Jewish New Year. The police are also monitoring the videos that may incite the situation.