Hamas chief defies Israel's defence minister

head of Hamas in Gaza Yahya Sinwar

29 May 2021; MEMO: Chief of Hamas Political Bureau in Gaza Yahya Sinwar has defied Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz as he posed for the media, calling for Gantz to carry out his pledge to assassinate him.

After two separate meetings held on Thursday with foreign and local reporters in Gaza, a journalist asked Sinwar: "Why are you not afraid of Gantz's threat to assassinate you?"

Sinwar answered: "I do not care about Israeli threats that they cannot fulfil. Anyway, I am speaking to you live and I will leave you after 20 minutes, will go home on foot and will ask my bodyguards to walk far away from me. Let Gantz carry out his pledge if he can."

Following the meetings with the media, Sinwar left alone and went home on foot. Before going home, he wandered around Gaza and met people whose homes and shops were destroyed.