Israel to assassinate Haniya: Report

The Israeli security cabinet has reportedly endorsed a plan to assassinate Palestinian democratically-elected Premier Ismail Haniya.

The Israeli website Rotter quoted senior sources in the security cabinet as saying that Israeli war minister Ehud Barak was the one championing that plan during a meeting last week, Palestine-Information Center reported.

The sources pointed out that Israel had asked President George W. Bush's administration to approve the plan.

The report added that Bush had agreed to the plan on condition that the assassination would take place after his visit to Israel, which is expected in mid January.

Israel has assassinated a number of prominent Hamas leaders such as the Movement's founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and his successor Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Rantisi. Press TV