Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri justified a foiled plan to assassinate Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) on Friday, claiming that while he does not personally know of information regarding the plot, “all the leaders of the occupation are considered legitimate targets for resistance.” 

“The leaders of the occupation, who are responsible for the killing of women and children and the desecration of holy places, are legitimate targets,” he said, in remarks translated by Channel 10 news.

On Thursday, the Israeli Security Agency (ISA or Shin Bet) revealed that three Hamas terrorists had been planning to assassinate Liberman during Operation Protective Edge over the summer by buying RPG missiles and then launching them at the foreign minister’s car, in hopes that the attack would stop Israel’s military operation in Gaza.

The terrorists – Ibrahim Salim Mahmoud Zir, 37, Ziad Salim Mahmoud Zir, 35, and Adnan Amin Mahmoud Tzabih, 31 – were caught while carrying out surveillance on Liberman’s Nokdim home. 

Less than twelve hours later, Palestinian Arab sources revealed that another series of attacks had been prevented after the ISA busted a large terror cell in Judea and Samaria – Hamas terrorists who had been conscripted via Hamas agents in Turkey to commit terror attacks in the region as well as in Jerusalem. 

Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar on Sunday declared that the group was intending to widen its terror scope throughout Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and that it intends to continue to lead the Palestinian Arab camp which advocates for armed struggle until Israel is destroyed.

Hamas has been escalating its incitement campaign against Jews and Israelis through heightened rhetoric and social media, releasing earlier this week a music video in broken Hebrew encouraging “car attacks” against Israeli citizens.