Israel Admits to Assassination of Former Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh

JERUSALEM: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has confirmed that Israel was behind the assassination of former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this year. Speaking at an event at the defence ministry, Katz warned of similar actions against the leadership of Yemen’s Houthis, marking a direct threat to other regional adversaries.

“We will strike hard at the Houthis… and decapitate their leadership — just as we did with Haniyeh, [Yahya] Sinwar, and [Hassan] Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon,” Katz declared, referencing operations targeting other prominent figures across the region.

The assassination of Haniyeh, carried out in late July, occurred a day after his attendance at the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. While Israel has previously taken credit for attacks on Yahya Sinwar in Gaza and Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon, this marks the first official acknowledgment of Israel’s role in Haniyeh’s assassination on Iranian soil.

The announcement comes amidst heightened tensions between Israel and Iran. In October, Iran launched a barrage of missiles at targets in Israel, claiming it was a response to the assassinations of Haniyeh, Nasrallah, and IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan. While Israel reported intercepting most of the missiles, some struck various locations, though no widespread casualties were reported.

Katz’s remarks underline Israel’s aggressive stance against its regional adversaries, reinforcing its commitment to preemptive measures in safeguarding its security.