When Israeli F-16 fighter jets shrieked low over the summer palace of Syrian President Bashar Assad last Wednesday morning, the message was clear: Stop sheltering Khaled Mashaal, the exiled leader of Hamas who is No. 1 on Israel's hit list. "He is definitely in our sights," says Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon. "He is a target."
Mashaal, who lives in Damascus under Syrian protection, is suspected by the Israelis of having ordered militants to kidnap Corporal Gilad Shalit and take him to the Gaza Strip, although Hamas and other Arab officials insist Mashaal was not directly involved. The Israelis believe he...
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