Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's instructions to his cabinet ministers not to make any statements regarding the return to the policy of assassinations of leaders of Palestinian resistance factions came in the wake of controversy sparked by repeated statements by Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, in which he called on the security services to carry out assassinations and liquidations of resistance leaders in response to the escalation of security tension and armed operations in the West Bank.

Energy and Infrastructure Minister Yisrael Katz has also previously threatened a return to the policy of assassinations against the leaders of the resistance factions in the Gaza Strip, saying in a statement, "If the operations, attacks and rocket fire continue, no one is immune in Gaza, and the policy of assassinations will return to the table."

⭕️ The headline on Channel 12 this evening is "Israel intends to prepare for a return to assassinations even at the expense of war." pic.twitter.com/TnhIQdei4o

— Abu Fadi (@abufadi1960) April 23, 2023

Confrontation and response

Netanyahu's instructions and the demands and threats of ministers in his government coincided with what was revealed by the military correspondent of the Israeli Channel 12, Nir Dvory, on Saturday evening, that the Israeli security establishment has returned to the table the strategy and policy of assassinations of the leaders of the Palestinian resistance factions.

According to the Military Affairs correspondent, the Israeli security establishment is in the process of making radical changes in terms of its policy of responding and confronting the operations carried out by the Palestinian resistance factions in the West Bank, in an attempt to restore deterrence.

Dvory pointed out that the Israeli security services seek to ensure calm and without any security tension, in order to avoid escalation and thwart any operations that may be carried out against Israeli targets this week, which coincides with the commemoration of the victims of Israel's wars and armed operations and the celebration of the so-called "Independence Day" (the Palestinian Nakba in 1948).

Hebrew Channel 12: Israel intends to prepare to reactivate its policy of assassinations, even at the cost of escalation – Netanyahu instructed ministers not to address the issue in their interviews with the media. pic.twitter.com/rzZGrfvE2Z

— Palinfo Center (@PalinfoAr) April 22, 2023

Operations and assassinations

The correspondent revealed that the security establishment is moving to make changes in response and confronting armed operations, during the discussions of the Israeli Cabinet for Political and Security Affairs, following the Megiddo operation and the firing of rockets from Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

During the cabinet session, the leaders of the Israeli security establishment revealed that they are considering with the political level and the prime minister a change in the operational course of the security arms and a return to the policy of assassinations of the leaders of the resistance factions.

The military correspondent quoted a senior Israeli security official as saying that "the nature of the Israeli response to any future operations or attacks will be different, strong, strict and unusual, even if the price is to enter into a comprehensive confrontation with the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza," without revealing the nature of the response.

🔵🖼️ #تصريح Hazem Qassem, spokesman for the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas: The threats of the Zionist enemy to activate the policy of assassinations against Hamas leaders are a failed attempt to enhance its image after the growing revolution of our people and the multiplicity of resistance action fronts pic.twitter.com/B8ZOvnixSJ

— Al-Aqsa Satellite Channel (@SerajSat) April 23, 2023

Arenas and threats

However, the military correspondent of the Israeli Channel 12 suggested that the Israeli security services have "plans in the drawer" to carry out comprehensive and strong military operations in the West Bank, even if the price is for the Gaza front to join the confrontation, pointing out that the Israeli military level concluded by saying that "Gaza has become a party to escalation and confrontation."

Following the assessments of the Israeli military level, Dufri indicated that Israel is preparing for a scenario of a comprehensive confrontation on the Gaza front and in the West Bank, recalling the security establishment's assessments that there may be a real threat to Israel from several arenas at the same time, saying that "Iran is the main driving force for this."

The military correspondent explained that Israel's return to the approach and policy of assassinations is a message to the leaders of the resistance factions, led by the leaders of Hamas, that "you are not immune, and you may be included in assassinations if you continue to send activists to carry out operations and fire rockets at Israel."

Al-Arouri and Al-Sinwar

According to Israel's Channel 12, the security establishment's move to return to the policy of assassinations of leaders of armed factions is the new policy that Israel will adopt and adopt, in an effort to restore deterrence in light of the failures to prevent operations and attacks and the repeated firing of rockets towards Israel.

Sapir Lipkin, a correspondent for Palestinian affairs and the Arab world at Israel's Channel 12, quoted a senior Israeli security source as saying that "the post-Ramadan period and the coming weeks will be complicated and dangerous, and may lead to the explosion of the situation and the ignition of a barrel of explosives."

Lipkin quoted an Israeli security source as saying that "the picture framed in the Lebanese capital Beirut, where Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was sitting, next to the head of Hamas' political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, and his deputy, Saleh al-Arouri, reflects the symbolism of the unity of the squares."

The source pointed out that the image in Beirut has become the most symbolic of the escalation and events that were centered on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which created the state of unification of squares during the "guardian of the walls", but the new mutant "is the accession of Syria and Lebanon to the unity of the squares."

Fronts and strategies

Based on the assessments of the Israeli security services, Lipkin said that Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, has worked to fundamentally change, modernize and develop the strategy of the multiple fronts, a game-changing update, she said.

In an indication of the possibility that Israel may include the head of Hamas in Gaza on a list of future assassinations, Lipkin explained that Sinwar has managed to gain strength and high progression in the Hamas leadership, and he acts in a deliberate manner and with a clear approach to strategic decision-making.

She explained that the Israeli security establishment closely monitors and follows Sinwar's statements and approach, concluding that "Sinwar worked to significantly update Hamas' strategy."