ISLAMABAD (TDI): Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz admitted on Monday that Israel was responsible for the killing of former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this year.
Threats to Houthis
Addressing an event at the Defence Ministry, Katz issued a stark warning to the Houthis, stating, “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, we will do so in Hodeida and Sanaa.” His remarks, reported by AFP, marked the first public acknowledgment of Israel’s involvement in Haniyeh’s killing in Iran.
Defence Ministry’s Statement
In an official statement, Katz reiterated Israel’s firm stance against its adversaries: “Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have his hand cut off, and the long arm of the IDF (Israeli military) will strike him and hold him accountable.”
Assassination of Haniyeh
The killing of Haniyeh, a prominent Hamas leader involved in negotiating a Gaza ceasefire, occurred on July 31 in a Tehran guesthouse.
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Reports indicate that an explosive device, planted by Israeli operatives weeks earlier, was used in the attack. A day before his death, Haniyeh had attended the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Targeting of Palestinian Leadership
Haniyeh’s assassination is one of several high-profile killings attributed to Israel in recent months.
On September 27, Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a bombing in Beirut, and Haniyeh’s successor, Yahya Sinwar, was assassinated on October 16 in Gaza.
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Israeli officials have accused Sinwar of orchestrating the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which ignited the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
