January 13, 2008 (LPAC)--The Jerusalem Post reported today on an article in the London paper al-Hayat which LPAC reports because of its subject matter. Lyndon LaRouche noted that there is no indication that those relating the story are not lying, and it is not known whether to believe the account, because we cannot place any confidence in the news sources' veracity.

The al Hayat article as reported by the Post (and more briefly by YNet.com) says that Israel is planning to assassinate Hamas leaders Khalid Mashaal (of the Hamas Politburo), Ismail Haniyeh (former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister), and former P.A. Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar, "but is waiting to give the green light on the operation until after U.S. President George W. Bush leaves the region." Mashaal is in Syria, the other two are in Gaza. The Jerusalem Post says that the al-Hayat report cites sources "who were part of the former P.A. unity government with Hamas as saying that European states informed them that Israel was forming a 'hit list,' on which appears the names of the three Hamas leaders." The sources further stated that Hamas is taking the report very seriously, and has bolstered security around the targeted officials "to unprecedented levels." Meanwhile, the Post reported, Hamas claimed on Saturday that its security forces had thwarted an attempt to assassinate Haniyeh. A spokesman for the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Interior said that a man carrying a bag containing a four-kilogram TNT explosive device was arrested during a rally attended by Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders.