Part 9/12:
In subsequent decades, Mossad's mandate expanded as new adversaries arose, including Hamas and Hezbollah. After the first Intifada in the late 1980s, Mossad faced mounting pressure to combat a rising tide of violence that included suicide bombings within Israel.
During the late 1990s, the agency was tasked with targeting Hamas leadership, leading to a failed assassination attempt on Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal that endangered Israeli-Jordanian relations. While he survived, the prolonged violence indicated the limits of Mossad's capabilities in neutralizing threats.