Israel has admitted responsibility for assassinating Hamas’s then leader Ismael Haniyeh in Iran last summer.
In a speech on Monday, Foreign Minister Israel Katz acknowledged that Israeli forces were behind the killing of Haniyeh, who died in an explosion in Tehran in July.
Israel was widely believed to be responsible for the blast and leaders have previously hinted at their involvement, but Monday’s comments mark the first public admission.
Katz threatened to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, which has launched scores of missiles and drones since 7 October 2023.
Yahya Sinwar (R), has taken charge of Hamas and negotiations since the assassination of previous leader Ismail Haniyeh (L) in Tehran last month (Photo: Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty)Speaking at an event honouring defence ministry personnel, he said: “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.”
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Read MoreIsrael will “damage their strategic infrastructure, and we will behead their leaders “just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah (Hezbollah’s former leader) in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon” we will do it in Hodeidah and Sana’a (Houthi leaders),” Katz added.
Haniyeh had been the face of Hamas’ international diplomacy at the time of the 7 October attack on southern Israel last year, when militants killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages.
It triggered a devastating response from Israel, which has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health officials.
He had been taking part in internationally brokered indirect talks on reaching a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.
Months after, Israeli forces in Gaza killed Yahya Sinwa, Haniyeh’s successor and widely regarded the strategic mastermind of 7 October.
This story is being updated.
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