Israel spy agency Mossad's chief says all Oct 7 attackers will be tracked down: 'Let every Arab mother know'

David Barnea, the head of Mossad, said on Wednesday (Jan 3) that the Israeli intelligence service agency will track down every Hamas member engaged in the October 7 attack on Israel, which started the ongoing war.

In a eulogy for his predecessor Zvi Zamir near Tel Aviv, Barnea said: "Let every Arab mother know that if her son took part, directly or indirectly, in the October 7 massacre, his blood is forfeit."

The Israel spy chief's remarks came a day after Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of the Palestinian militant group, was killed in a suspected Israeli strike in Beirut.

Al-Arouriwas killed along with his bodyguards in the Lebanese capital, which is a stronghold of Hamas ally Hezbollah.

Senior Lebanese officials accused Israel of carrying out the strike. Israel has not claimed responsibility and there's nothing official regarding who was behind the attack, but some reports suggest that what Barnea said appeared to be the strongest indication that Israel was behind the blast.

He also made a comparison to the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Massacre, which led to Mossad agents tracking down and killing a string of Palestinian militants involved in killing Israeli athletes at that year's Olympic games.

"It will take time, just like after the Munich massacre, but we will lay our hands on them wherever they will be," Barnea said.

"Today we are again in the middle of a war. The Mossad, today as it was 50 years ago, is committed to settling the score with the murderers who rampaged through the Gaza periphery on October 7 - with the planners, and with those who dispatched them," he said.

Israel launched a massive operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian militant group entered southern Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,140 people, according to Israeli figures.

Israel's retaliation has claimed the lives of at least 22,313 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)