Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, has confirmed that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were behind the assassination of former Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this year. Gallant’s remarks, made at a defense ministry event on Monday, mark the first official acknowledgment of Israeli involvement in Haniyeh’s killing, which took place in late July.
“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,” said Gallant, referring to a series of high-profile assassinations that have targeted leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, both of whom are considered hostile to Israel.
Haniyeh, a key figure in Hamas's leadership, was killed by an explosive device placed in a guesthouse in Tehran on July 31. The attack was widely suspected to have been carried out by Israeli operatives, though both Hamas and Iran had directly blamed Israel for the assassination. Israel had previously hinted at its involvement but refrained from confirming it until now.
Gallant also emphasized Israel’s determination to retaliate against those who oppose the state. “Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have his hand cut off,” Gallant said, adding that the “long arm of the IDF will strike him and hold him accountable.”
The remarks come amid growing tensions with the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have launched a series of missile and drone attacks on Israel throughout the ongoing Gaza conflict. A missile launched from Yemen early Tuesday was intercepted by the Israeli military before it could reach Israeli territory, with no reported casualties.
The Houthis, who have described their attacks as acts of solidarity with Palestinians, have been a focus of Israel’s military operations. In response, Israel has carried out airstrikes in Yemen, targeting Houthi positions and warning of increased military pressure until the missile attacks cease.
Haniyeh’s killing occurred just days after his attendance at the inauguration of Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian. His assassination, described by Hamas officials as a "cowardly act," followed a series of other Israeli-targeted killings, including that of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza on October 16, 2023, and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on September 27.
These actions are part of Israel’s ongoing efforts to disrupt what it describes as terror networks in the region.
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