The London-based Middle East Eye reported on Saturday, citing senior Egyptian officials, that the Arab country discovered Israeli plans and warned Tel Aviv that any attack would be responded to with force.
“Intelligence reports suggest Israel has been plotting to assassinate Hamas leaders in Cairo for some time, as Egypt had already foiled an earlier attempt during ceasefire negotiations in the city over the past two years,” a security source told the outlet.
According to the report, the officials did not mention the names, date, or exact details of the presence of Hamas members in Egypt, but warned that Cairo would consider any such action by Israel as a declaration of war and a violation of its national sovereignty.
An Egyptian official was also quoted as saying that the Israeli attack on Doha did not use Egyptian airspace, and that the country’s defense system is capable of intercepting any violation of its airspace.
The revelation came just days after Israeli air strikes hit residential buildings in the Qatari capital, targeting senior Hamas leaders, including Khalil al-Hayya, as they met in Doha to discuss the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Hayya’s son and four other lower-ranking Hamas members were killed, along with a Qatari security force member, prompting international condemnations, with Qatar warning that it will not tolerate Israel's “reckless conduct.”
IRNA