Israel confirms role in killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran; issues stern warning to Houthis
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Dec 24, 2024, 9:03 AM ISTIsrael's Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly confirmed the country's involvement in the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last July.
Israel has, for the first time, openly acknowledged its role in the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran this past July. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz disclosed this while issuing a warning to the Houthis regarding their recent attacks, confirming Israel's involvement in the operation.
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"Israel will 'damage their strategic infrastructure, and we will behead their leaders – just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon – we will do it in Hodeidah and Sana'a," Katz said during an event honoring defense ministry personnel.
"These days, when the Houthi terrorist organization is firing missiles at Israel, I want to convey a clear message to them at the beginning of my remarks: We have defeated Hamas, we have defeated Hezbollah, we have blinded Iran's defense systems and damaged the production systems, we have toppled the Assad regime in Syria, we have dealt a severe blow to the axis of evil, and we will also deal a severe blow to the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen, which remains the last to stand," he said.
In late July, Hamas' political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran in an attack that Iranian authorities attributed to Israel. At the time, Israel did not officially claim responsibility for the operation.
Haniyeh, typically based in Qatar, had been a prominent figure in Hamas' international diplomatic efforts. Amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, Haniyeh had been involved in indirect, internationally mediated discussions aimed at establishing a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.
After Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran, Israeli forces went on to kill Yahya Sinwar in Gaza. Sinwar, who succeeded Haniyeh, was seen as the mastermind behind the October 7 attack, which ignited the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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