The extraordinary capture and apparent rendition of Dirar Abu Sisi is proof that any constraints placed on Mossad after the assassination of a Hamas commander in Dubai last year have been lifted.
The diplomatic fallout from the unintended public dissection of that killing, most notably the revelation that the hit squad that killed Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in his hotel room was using fake British, Irish, Australian and French passports, has proved remarkably short-lived.
Tamir Pardo, the new Mossad chief, took over from Meir Dagan on January 1, part of a wholesale change of cast at the top of the country’s security forces over the past four months. During that time new heads of the Israeli Defence Force, Military Intelligence, the police, and Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, have all been appointed.
But, rather than enter into a quiet transition phase, the new chiefs have hit the ground running. Alleged weapons shipments on their way to Gaza from Syria and Iran have been seized, and several military operations have been conducted along or inside the Gaza border.
Analysts believe that Mr Abu Sisi’s abduction is a statement from the new Mossad director that he intends to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor.
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Yaakov Katz, an author and defence analyst, said: “These types of operations, gathering data across countries, pinpointed strikes, etc., was how Dagan helped Mossad regain its standing.”