Media: Israeli Mossad used captured Hamas arms in anti-Iran operation

Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad supplied Kurdish militias with weapons captured from Hamas and Hezbollah as part of a broader effort aimed at undermining the Iranian regime, Ynet reports.

A report published on June 4 states that the weapons had been seized during Israel’s military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was also reportedly involved in the initiative to arm Kurdish forces.

However, the plan was ultimately canceled by US President Donald Trump following pressure from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, amid concerns that the initiative could trigger a wider regional conflict.

According to the report, Kurdish groups received financial assistance, vehicles, and a range of military equipment, including small arms, anti-tank missiles, grenades, and mortar rounds.

The developments follow an earlier report published in late March by the Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah, which claimed that Ankara had succeeded in blocking an alleged Israeli plan to use Kurdish forces as a ground component in a military campaign against Iran.

According to the Turkish report, Israel, in coordination with the United States, sought to employ Kurdish organizations operating in Iraq and within Iran as a proxy force following the opening phase of Operation Roaring Lion in late February. The report also alleged that Israeli strikes targeted military sites near the Iran-Iraq border to facilitate the movement of Kurdish fighters.

Daily Sabah reported that approximately 500 operatives traveled from Iraq to Iran with the intention of joining the conflict. The plan was reportedly disrupted after Turkish intervention, including high-level contacts with leaders of Iraq’s Kurdish region.

The report said Ankara warned prominent Kurdish political figures, including members of the Barzani and Talabani families, against participating in the initiative and made clear that Türkiye would not support Kurdish groups if they became involved in military action against Iran.

Türkiye also reportedly conveyed deterrent messages to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), warning of consequences should the group join the effort. The report further claimed that imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan urged Kurdish forces not to respond to Israeli proposals.

According to the Turkish newspaper, Erdoğan raised the issue directly with Trump and expressed strong opposition to the use of Kurdish forces in the conflict. Turkish officials reportedly warned that such a move could ignite broader ethnic and regional tensions.

Türkiye’s intelligence chief, İbrahim Kalın, later cautioned about the risk of a “regional fireball,” warning that the conflict could evolve into a prolonged confrontation involving Turks, Kurds, Arabs, and Persians.

By Vafa Guliyeva