Israel confirms killing Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran
PTC News Desk: Israel has confirmed that it neutralised Hamas former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July. Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz first time admitted publicly on Monday Israel's killing of Haniyeh further risking tensions between Tehran and its arch-enemy Israel in a region shaken by Israel's war in Gaza and the conflict in Lebanon.
"These days, when the Houthi terrorist organisation 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 defence 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 organisation in Yemen, which remains the last to stand," Katz said.
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 evening honouring defence ministry personnel.
The Iran-backed group in Yemen has been targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea for over a year, attempting to enforce a naval blockade on Israel. They claim to be acting in solidarity with Palestinians during Israel's ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In late July, the political leader of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran, with Iranian authorities blaming Israel for the attack. However, Israel did not officially claim responsibility for Haniyeh's killing at the time.
Haniyeh, who typically resided in Qatar, had been a key figure in Hamas' international diplomacy. He was involved in indirect, internationally mediated talks aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, amid the ongoing war sparked by the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7.
Months later, Israeli forces killed Yahya Sinwar, Haniyeh's successor and the architect of the October 7 attack that initiated the current escalation in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- With inputs from agencies
