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Until now, Jerusalem has not taken responsibility for the killing of the Hamas terrorist organization’s leader and his bodyguard.
By: JNS.org
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed for the first time on Monday night that Jerusalem was behind the assassination of Hamas “political” leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran five months ago.
“In these days, when the Houthi terror group is firing missiles at Israel, I want to convey to them a clear message,” Katz stated in his speech at an event honoring community heads of security and their families.
“We defeated Hamas and Hezbollah, we blinded Iran’s defense systems and damaged the [missile] production systems, we collapsed the Assad regime in Syria, we have dealt heavy blows to the’ axis of evil’ and we will also severely strike the Houthi terror organization in Yemen, which remains the last one standing,” the Israeli defense minister threatened.
Until now, Jerusalem has not taken responsibility for the July 31 killing of the Palestinian terror group’s “political” leader and his bodyguard.
Iran and Hamas accused Israel of the assassination of Haniyeh, who traveled to Tehran for the inauguration of the country’s president.
According to a report by The New York Times, Haniyeh was killed by a remote-controlled explosive device planted roughly two months earlier in the guesthouse where he was accustomed to staying in Tehran.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen media network affiliated with Hezbollah claimed that the killing was “carried out by means of a missile launched from country to country, not from within Iran.”
When asked about the report during a press briefing on Aug. 1, Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that “there was no additional aerial attack—not a missile and not an Israeli drone—in the Middle East that night, and I won’t say anything beyond that.”
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ordered a direct attack on the Jewish state following the assassination. On Oct. 1, Iran launched 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in its second-ever direct strike on the country. While most were intercepted, an Israeli Air Force base suffered damage.
In response, IAF jets hit 20 sites in Iran in multiple waves on Oct. 26, reportedly knocking out its air defenses and significantly setting back its missile production industry. The Israeli strikes reportedly also destroyed radar systems required to guide the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missiles.
Jerusalem has pledged a strong response should the Iranian regime choose to launch a direct attack on the Jewish state for the third time.
(JNS.org)
