Hamas political head in exile Khaled Mashaal reportedly broke protocol and directly contacted the head of the military wing in Gaza, Mohammed Deif, to discuss a ceasefire with Israel, a call that was intercepted by Israeli intelligence, News1 reports, citing Lebanese media reports.
There is no confirmation of the report, which was also carried by Israel’s Channel 10 news.
The call seemingly led intelligence to the location of Deif, who has been in hiding for years.
Shortly after the contact, Israel authorized the Tuesday strike on a Gaza residence, in which several were killed, including members of Deif’s family, the report states. It has not yet been confirmed if Deif was killed in the strike as well.
According to Palestinian sources cited in the Lebanese media, Mashal has been pressured to agree to the Egyptian ceasefire proposal, but wished to consult directly with Deif, and did so contrary to established Hamas secrecy protocols.
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Thursday, August 21, 2014
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