Head secretary to Hamas' political leader in exile, Khaled Mashaal, was killed four days ago in the Syrian city of Homs, according to recent reports. Hisham el-Badni, a resident of Damascus, was reportedly dragged from his car and shot in the light of day.
The incident was first made public by the Reform Party of Syria, an opposition group whose members operate mostly outside of the country's boundaries, usually in the United States. Neither Hamas nor officials in Syria have commented on the report.
The Qatari paper Al-Arab reported on Friday that Syria had issued an official warning aimed at leaders of the Palestinian factions operating within its borders, including Mashaal and Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Abdullah Ramadan Shallah, urging them to act with caution. Palestinian sources told the paper the Syrian government had warned the two leaders that they may be targeted by Israel, even on Syrian territory. They were asked to limit their appearances in the media in order to prevent Israel from locating them.