Ismail Haniyeh assassination: New details revealed by Israeli press

New revelations about the assassination of former Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh last July have been reported by Israel's Channel 12 and picked up by the daily Haaretz. The operation, carried out in Tehran and for which Israel claimed responsibility last week, was possible thanks to coordination between Israeli security forces, Mossad and a vast network of double agents who were turned against Hamas and Iran, reports Channel 12.

Although Haniyeh had been an important figure in Hamas for years, the fact that his role was political rather than military had put him at the bottom of Israel's target list. But the situation changed completely after the attack on Oct. 7, 2023, when Israel decided to eliminate all members of the Islamist movement's leadership.

A New York Times investigation in August revealed for the first time that the political leader of Hamas was killed by an explosive device detonated remotely in a guest house belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz acknowledged on Monday that his country had killed the leader of the Palestinian group. Iran and Hamas had blamed the assassination on Israel, which had not commented publicly until then.

Operation postponed by a month

After ruling out Doha and Moscow as possible places to strike Haniyeh, Israel opted for Tehran, targeting the luxurious guest house where he often stayed when visiting Iran and where he had a favorite room, the investigation reveals.

An initial plan to kill Haniyeh during the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raissi was rejected because of the risk it posed to civilians. The operation was postponed for a month, until the inauguration of current President Massoud Pezeshkian.

Although the hidden explosive device had already been placed in Haniyeh's room at the guesthouse, the air conditioner broke down, prompting him to want to change rooms. At the last minute, technicians were able to repair the air conditioner and Haniyeh ended up staying put, the investigation states.

A few hours later, at 1:30 a.m., the explosive device was detonated and the Hamas leader was killed as he slept in his bed. Israeli investigative journalist Ronen Bergman reports that after Haniyeh was pronounced dead, his close friend and senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayye rushed into the bedroom. At the sight of Haniyeh dead, al-Hayye knelt down and wept, we learn.

In response to Channel 12's investigation, Hamas issued a statement categorically rejecting the use of an explosive device to kill Haniyeh and reiterating its earlier assertion that he was hit by a guided missile “containing 7.5 kilograms of explosives and directly targeting his cell phone.”