<keyword id="19944483" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ismail-Haniyeh" source="keywords">Ismail Haniyeh</keyword>, the prominent <keyword id="113804" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hamas-leader" source="Orion">Hamas leader</keyword>, met a sudden and dramatic end on Wednesday morning in Iran’s Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and <keyword id="19900598" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hamas" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hamas" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hamas">Hamas</keyword> both reported that Haniyeh, along with his Iranian bodyguard, was killed in a raid attributed to Israel, though specifics about the assassination remain unclear. Just a day ago, on Tuesday, Haniyeh was in the Iranian capital for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian, where he was photographed with key Iranian officials. Now, his death has ignited interest in his background, his role within Hamas and the trajectory of his life. Here's a summary of the key details about him. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Who was Haniyeh and what was his role within Hamas?" comment="subhead" text="Who was Haniyeh and what was his role within Hamas?"><keyword id="22614669" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Who-was-Haniyeh" source="Orion">Who was Haniyeh</keyword> and what was his role within Hamas?</cmsannotation> A central figure in Hamas, Haniyeh’s influence spanned both political and militant spheres. His career began as a student activist at Gaza City's Islamic University, where he joined Hamas amid the First Palestinian Intifada in 1987. His early involvement in Hamas’s radical activities led to multiple arrests by Israeli authorities. After being released and briefly exiled to southern Lebanon in 1992, Haniyeh returned to Gaza. There, he quickly ascended within the movement, becoming a protégé of Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmad Yassin. Haniyeh’s rise continued as he became Yassin’s trusted aide, notably facilitating communication between Yassin and others despite the leader's severe paralysis. Yassin’s assassination by Israel in 2004 did not slow Haniyeh’s momentum. By 2006, he had led Hamas to a surprising victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, becoming the ‘Prime Minister of the State of Palestine’. However, the victory was met with resistance from both international backers of the Palestinian Authority and domestic rival Fatah, leading to a split between Gaza and the West Bank. In 2017, Haniyeh stepped down as Hamas’ Gaza leader, shifting to the role of chairman of Hamas’ Political Bureau. Relocating to Qatar in 2018, he managed the group’s political operations from Doha until his assassination. Despite his outward hardline stance, Haniyeh was seen by some Arab diplomats as relatively pragmatic compared to other Hamas figures. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112156803" title="Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh killed in Tehran, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirm" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The circumstances surrounding his death, particularly in Tehran immediately following the inauguration of Iran’s new president, mark a significant as well as embarrassing blow for the Islamic Republic. Haniyeh’s family also suffered grievous losses earlier this year when an Israeli airstrike killed three of his sons and four of his grandchildren. Haniyeh’s role in bolstering Hamas's military capabilities and fostering ties with Iran underscores the broader impact of his leadership on Middle Eastern geopolitics. Now, how the full ripple effects of his untimely death on the complex web of regional politics and militant dynamics unfold remain to be seen.

Ismail Haniyeh assassination: Who was Haniyeh and what was his role within Hamas?

Tehran [Iran], July 31 (ANI): <keyword id="19900598" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hamas" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hamas" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hamas">Hamas</keyword> Political Bureau chief <keyword id="19944483" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ismail-Haniyeh" source="keywords">Ismail Haniyeh</keyword> has been killed in an attack in Iran's capital, Tehran, the <keyword id="19925328" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Islamic-Revolutionary-Guard-Corps" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps">Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps</keyword> said on Wednesday, Press TV reported. In a statement to Meher News Agency the IRGC said that Ismail Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed after their residence was targeted in Tehran. "With condolences to the heroic nation of Palestine and the Islamic nation and the combatants of the Resistance Front and the noble nation of Iran, this morning (Wednesday) the residence of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political office of the Islamic Resistance of Hamas, was hit in Tehran, and following this incident, he and one of his bodyguards were martyred," the statement read. Earlier on Tuesday, Iran's Supreme Leader, Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, held a meeting with <keyword id="2482921" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hamas-Chief" source="Orion">Hamas chief</keyword> Ismail Haniyeh. Khamenei took to social media platform X to share pictures of his meeting with Haniyeh. In a post on X, Khamenei's office stated, "Imam Khamenei met with Mr. Ismail Haniyah, head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, and Mr. Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement." In its reply to the post, the <keyword id="240155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Israel-Defence-forces" source="Orion">Israel Defence Forces</keyword> posted "Did someone ask for a photo-op of Iran and the leaders of their proxies? Iran's Khamenei met with Hamas' Ismail Haniyah and the Islamic Jihad's Ziyad-al Nakhalah -- two of the terrorist organizations who have been attempting to kill Israelis using weapons made and funded by Iran. We can only assume the topics of conversation included how to spend more Iranian money to kill Israelis while wishing Hezbollah's Nasrallah could join them." Ismail Haniyeh who is based in Qatar, was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Iranian President-elect, Masoud Pezeshkian, according to a Press TV report. Earlier in April, three sons of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh were killed in an air strike carried out by the Israeli Air Force on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) informed. The three sons of the Hamas leader, who were confirmed dead by the Israeli forces, were identified as Amir Haniyeh, a cell commander in the Hamas military wind and Mohammad and Hazem Haniyeh." In a post on X, IDF on April 10 stated, "IAF aircraft struck Amir Haniyeh, a cell commander in the Hamas military wing, and Mohammad and Hazem Haniyeh, both Hamas military operatives, in central Gaza today. The IDF confirms that the 3 operatives are the sons of Ismail Haniyeh, the chairman of Hamas' political bureau." Meanwhile, the Israel Defence forces also announced that they had eliminated Fuad Shukr "Sayyid Muhsan", Hezbollah's Most Senior Military Commander. According to the IDF, Shukr was Hezbollah commander Hassan Nasrallah's Right-Hand Man Shukr and directed Hezbollah's attacks on Israel. IDF said he was responsible for the killing of 12 children in Majdal Shams in northern Israel earlier, as well as the killing of numerous Israelis and foreign nationals over the years. The IDF said Shukr was also responsible for the majority of Hezbollah's most advanced weaponry, including precise-guided missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, long-range rockets and UAVs.

Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh killed in Tehran, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirm

The <keyword id="19910503" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Israel-Defence-Forces" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Israel Defence Forces" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Israel Defence Forces">Israel Defence Forces</keyword> (IDF) on Thursday announced that <keyword id="19900598" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hamas" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hamas" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hamas">Hamas</keyword> military wing commander Mohammed Deif had been killed in an <keyword id="19952187" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="airstrike" source="keywords">airstrike</keyword> in the southern <keyword id="19906532" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gaza-Strip" source="keywords">Gaza Strip</keyword> on July 13. In a post on X, IDF stated, "We can now confirm: Mohammed Deif was eliminated." <div type="twitter" handle="IDF" handlename="IDF" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1818926099432161437"></div>The Israeli military said that it obtained intelligence confirming his death in the past few hours. Deif was targeted in a strike at Hamas' Khan Younis Brigade commander Rafa'a Salameh's compound in Khan Younis area on July 13, The Times of Israel reported. A day later, the IDF confirmed the death of Salameh. However, it did not have final information on Deif. The IDF believed that its intelligence indicated that Deif visiting the compound belonging to Salameh was highly accurate and the two Hamas military officials were together in the building that was hit with several heavy munitions, according to The Times of Israel report. Israeli fighter jets had patrolled the building for half a day before conducting the strike after the IDF had early indications that Deif was with Samaleh. The two jets were in the air above the site. After the military received confirmation that Deif had arrived at the compound, the jets were given the order to target, which was conducted within just a few minutes, according to The Times of Israel report. Israel's confirmation regarding Deif comes a day after Hamas' political bureau chief <keyword id="19944483" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ismail-Haniyeh" source="keywords">Ismail Haniyeh</keyword> was killed in an attack in Iran's capital, <keyword id="20024069" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tehran" source="keywords">Tehran</keyword>, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Wednesday, Press TV reported. In a statement to Mehr News Agency, the IRGC said that Ismail Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed after their residence was targeted in Tehran. "With condolences to the heroic nation of <keyword id="20038596" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Palestine" source="keywords">Palestine</keyword> and the Islamic nation and the combatants of the Resistance Front and the noble nation of Iran, this morning (Wednesday) the residence of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political office of the Islamic Resistance of Hamas, was hit in Tehran, and following this incident, he and one of his bodyguards were martyred," the statement read. Ismail Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Iranian President-elect, Masoud Pezeshkian, according to a Press TV report. On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister <keyword id="19904826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Benjamin-Netanyahu" source="keywords">Benjamin Netanyahu</keyword> said that his nation has delivered "crushing blows" to enemies in the last few days, CNN reported. He made the remarks hours after the deaths of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and senior <keyword id="19925799" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hezbollah" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hezbollah" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hezbollah">Hezbollah</keyword> commander Fuad Shukr. In his address to the nation, Netanyahu did not claim Israel's responsibility for Haniyeh's killing. Notably, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied being behind Haniyeh's assassination. "Three weeks ago, we attacked the military chief of Hamas, Mohammad Deif. Two weeks ago we attacked the Houthis, in one of the farthest attacks the Air Force has carried out. Yesterday we attacked the military chief of Hezbollah, Fuad Shukr," the Israeli PM said. Netanyahu said Israel is facing "challenging days" and it will "settle the score" with anyone who harms the country. "These are challenging days. There are threats From Beirut. We are ready for any scenario. We are prepared," CNN quoted him as saying. "We'll settle the score with anyone who harms us, anyone who massacres our children, anyone who murders our citizens, anyone who hurts our nation, blood is on his head," Netanyahu added. He further affirmed that Israel will keep fighting until the aims of the war are achieved. Netanyahu referenced previous calls he has received to end the war in Gaza, saying, "I did not give in then and I am not giving in today." Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced a national day of mourning on Wednesday over the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, as he condemned the killing as a "cowardly act and dangerous development," The Times of Israel reported. Palestinian flags were flown at half-staff for the day, the Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported, as Palestinian factions announced a general strike and called for demonstrations in the West Bank.

Another Hamas military leader Muhammad Deif killed in airstrike, Israel Defence Forces announces

<ul><li><keyword id="19900599" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Israel" source="keywords">Israel</keyword> has reportedly killed the top <keyword id="19900598" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hamas" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hamas" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hamas">Hamas</keyword> leader <keyword id="19944483" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ismail-Haniyeh" source="keywords">Ismail Haniyeh</keyword> in Iran’s Tehran.</li><li>Israel on Tuesday revealed that it has eliminated <keyword id="19925799" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hezbollah" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hezbollah" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hezbollah">Hezbollah</keyword>'s senior military commander <keyword id="22610873" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fuad-Shukr" source="keywords">Fuad Shukr</keyword>.</li><li>Here are some of the notable <keyword id="20508874" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="targeted-killings" source="keywords">targeted killings</keyword> or alleged assassinations by Israel over the years – both confirmed and unconfirmed.</li></ul> Israel has reportedly killed<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/ismail-haniyeh-assassination-who-was-haniyeh-and-what-was-his-role-within-hamas/articleshow/112160692.cms"> Ismail Haniyeh</a>, a top Hamas leader in Tehran, Iran while he was visiting the country for the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He had reportedly met Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday. While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the assassination which resulted in the death of Haniyeh and his bodyguard, Hamas and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have confirmed that he has been killed. The IRGC in a statement said Haniyeh was killed in "a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran". <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112156862" title="One of Hamas' top leaders has been killed in Iran, according to reports" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> According to Israel, Haniyeh was responsible for the brutal October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, which left over a thousand people dead and resulted in several people being taken hostage. This came just hours after The Israeli military confirmed that it eliminated Hezbollah's senior military commander Fuad Shukr. According to Israel, Shukr was responsible for the rocket attack on Golan Heights which killed 12 children playing in the ground. Shukr had a $5 million bounty on him from the United States as he reportedly played a “central role” in the 1983 bombing of a US Marines barracks in Beirut, which killed 241 US military personnel. <h2>Israel's history of targeted killings</h2> From operations such as Wrath of God to individual targeted attacks to kill key enemy leaders, Israel is notoriously aggressive against foreign threats. While the country’s agencies have themselves confirmed some of these killings, some have been attributed to them by others. Here're some major ones: 1. Saleh al-Arouri the deputy leader of Hamas, was killed in Beirut in an Israeli airstrike in January this year, marking a significant blow to Hamas leadership. 2. Sayyed Razi Mousavi, a senior commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in Syria in a suspected Israeli airstrike in December 2023. 3. In May 2021, as part of the Operation Guardian of the Walls, Hamas commander Mohammed Abdullah Fayyad was killed in an air strike allegedly by the Israel Air Force. 4. A senior Hamas military commander, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh who was one of the founders of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades was assassinated in Dubai in 2010. 5. Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, another senior Hamas military commander was reportedly assassinated in Dubai in 2010. 6. Yahya Ayyash, A Hamas bombmaker, nicknamed "The Engineer", was assassinated by a booby-trapped cell phone in Gaza in 1996. 7. Gerald Bull, a Canadian scientist working on the Iraqi supergun project was killed by Israeli agents in Brussels in 1990. 8. The notable assassinations by the country also include the operation Wrath of God, which took place from 1972 to 1992 and was aimed at targeting individuals responsible for the Munich massacre. For those unaware, during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Germany, eight members of the Palestinian terrorist organization Black September killed two members of the Israeli Olympic team and took nine others hostage, who were later killed after a failed rescue attempt. As part of the operation, Israel is believed to have killed over ten people over the next two decades. This also resulted in the death of a civilian in Norway. Also read: <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112160692" title="Ismail Haniyeh assassination: Who was Haniyeh and what was his role within Hamas?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"><payload><![CDATA[seealso]]></payload></div> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112176052" title="The killing of a top Hamas leader in its backyard is &amp;#39;humiliating&amp;#39; for Iran, experts say" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"><payload><![CDATA[seealso]]></payload></div>

Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh to "The Engineer" Yahya Ayyash — List of Israel’s targeted killings over the years

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran, per Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps.</li><li>Haniyeh was in Tehran for Iran's new president's inauguration; Hamas blames Israel.</li></ul>Top Hamas leader <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-killed-top-hamas-commanders-gaza-not-those-wants-most-2024-4">Ismail Haniyeh</a> has been killed in Iran, according to a statement from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps early Wednesday.Tasnim News, an IRGC-linked media channel, posted <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/Tasnimnews_Fa/status/1818481556505182405">a statement announcing Haniyeh's death</a> in Tehran on Wednesday morning local time. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/07/30/world/israel-gaza-war-lebanon-hezbollah">New York Times</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-hamas-israel-30968a7acb31cd8b259de9650014b779">Associated Press</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/30/middleeast/hamas-political-leader-ismail-haniyeh-killed-intl-hnk/index.html">CNN</a> also reported on the killing. Haniyeh, 62, was the leader of Hamas' political wing. He joined the militant group in the late 1980s.In a statement published by the Hamas-affiliated Shehab news agency, the group accused Israel of killing Haniyeh in a "treacherous" attack on his residence in Tehran.Haniyeh was previously in exile in Qatar. He had traveled to Tehran to attend the inauguration of Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's new president, according to multiple reports.No party has claimed responsibility for the killing at press time.In October, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, vowed a "mighty vengeance" on Hamas and its leaders for its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which saw some 1,200 people killed and around 250 people taken hostage.When contacted for comment on Iranian state media reports, the Israeli military <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/lebanon-beirut-explosion-07-30-24#h_bac604dcad44e7f76393912aee9feed8">told CNN</a> they "don't respond to reports in the foreign media." A White House spokesperson told the outlet it was aware of the reports but declined to comment.Representatives for the Pentagon and the Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.Haniyeh's reported death comes hours after Israel struck the Lebanese capital of Beirut, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-tried-killing-top-hezbollah-commander-beirut-with-us-bounty-2024-7">killing a top Hezbollah commander</a> who it said was responsible for a deadly rocket attack in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights over the weekend.This story is developing. Please check back for more updates.

One of Hamas' top leaders has been killed in Iran, according to reports

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Israel appeared to carry out two significant assassinations this week in Lebanon and Iran.</li><li>IDF jets killed a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon shortly before a Hamas leader was blown up in Iran.</li></ul>Israel claimed responsibility earlier this week for a deadly strike that killed a top Hezbollah commander in Lebanon, and just hours later, it became the leading suspect in a sophisticated scheme that assassinated Hamas' political chief in Iran.The stunning, back-to-back killings mark two significant intelligence successes for Israel, and demonstrate its ability to secretly track its enemies and strike them with cold precision, Middle East security and counterterrorism experts told Business Insider.But the strategic repercussions of these strikes remain to be seen, as the dual assassinations have also sparked fears of large-scale retaliation from Iran and its proxies, like Hezbollah and Hamas, which could kill more Israelis and plunge the region into even more conflict.<h2 id="0768e516-6c2d-42bc-9422-85c294aae606">A strike in Lebanon</h2>On Tuesday, Israeli fighter jets carried out a strike in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-tried-killing-top-hezbollah-commander-beirut-with-us-bounty-2024-7">killing Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr</a>.<div type="image" title="A photo taken on July 30 shows the destroyed top floors of an eight-story building following an Israeli military strike on Beirut's southern suburb." height="2976" width="4464" msid="112230539" hostid="261" sizebytes="1615736"></div>Shukr served on Hezbollah's Jihad Council, its highest military body, and was a senior advisor to the group's secretary-general, Hasan Nasrallah. The US government also held him responsible for the 1983 <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-beirut-barracks-bombing-risk-clash-israel-hamas-hezbollah-iran-2023-10">bombing of the US Marine Corps barracks</a> in Beirut and had placed a $5 million bounty on his head.The Israel Defense Forces blamed Shukr for a deadly rocket attack in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights that took place just days prior and said it killed him in retaliation.Jonathan Lord, formerly a political military analyst at the Pentagon, said the operation to kill Shukr was likely informed by combat intelligence. Israel found where he was at a specific time and took the shot when it had the opportunity."Their ability to track these individuals in fairly real time, find out where they are, where they're going to be, and then to be able to launch a surgical strike against them — it's an impressive capability," said Lord, the director of the Middle East security program at the Center for a New American Security think tank.<div type="image" title="A man waves a Hezbollah and a Palestinian flag during the funeral procession of top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut's southern suburbs on August 1." height="1446" width="2170" msid="112230538" hostid="261" sizebytes="219728"></div>Bruce Hoffman, a counterterrorism expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the Beirut strike demonstrated precision targeting that left minimal collateral damage; three other people were <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/31/hezbollahsays-top-commander-fuad-shukr-killed-in-israel-strike-on-beirut">reportedly</a> killed, including two children.<h2 id="d38b8905-5ce1-4266-a05b-271148abf25b">'Reputation is everything'</h2>Hours following the Beirut strike, a more seismic incident occurred: Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas' political wing, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ismail-haniyeh-top-hamas-leader-killed-in-iran-2024-7">was killed in Iran</a> shortly after he attended the swearing-in of its new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.The circumstances surrounding Haniyeh's death were initially unclear, and it was first thought that he died from an airstrike. However, The New York Times <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/world/middleeast/how-hamas-leader-haniyeh-killed-iran-bomb.html?smid=tw-share">reported</a> on Thursday that he was killed by an explosive device that had been smuggled months ago into the guesthouse where he was staying in Tehran and remotely detonated once it was clear Haniyeh was in the room.Iran and Hamas blamed Israel for Haniyeh's assassination and promised revenge.<div type="image" title="A man waves a Hezbollah and a Palestinian flag during the funeral procession of top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut's southern suburbs on August 1." height="1446" width="2170" msid="112230538" hostid="261" sizebytes="219728"></div>Israel has not publicly acknowledged its involvement, but Israeli officials — including the leader of the country's vaunted Mossad intelligence agency — have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-03-2024-fc2394531bef8238e86879dd98ea435b">vowed to hunt down Hamas leaders</a> responsible for the October 7 massacre wherever they are.The Mossad has a long history of carrying out Israeli assassination operations outside the country. Axios later <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/01/haniyeh-assassination-mossad">reported</a> that it was Mossad agents who planted the explosive device in the Tehran guesthouse, which is run by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and detonated it from Iranian soil."Astonishingly, Israel had the assets and the capability to gain access to what should have been one of the most highly defended and secured targets in Iran," Hoffman said.Adding to the significant announcements this week, Israel on Thursday said it killed <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-mohammad-deif-mastermind-hamas-attack-israel-palestine-gaza-2023-10">Mohammed Deif</a>, the commander of Hamas' military wing, in a mid-July strike in Gaza. Hamas did not immediately confirm his death in the strike, which <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-war-mohammed-deif-9524d7d5c8f7321f4d8c931fde664556">reportedly</a> killed dozens of Palestinians.<div type="image" title="An anti-Israeli billboard hangs at Palestine Square in Tehran on July 31." height="1428" width="2148" msid="112230537" hostid="261" sizebytes="482676"></div>Yoav Gallant, Israel's defense minister, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/yoavgallant/status/1818930330230812684">said</a> Thursday that "the operation was conducted precisely and professionally" by the IDF and Israeli security forces.Lord, the former Pentagon analyst, said tactical intelligence is "definitely a strong suit of the Israelis," but he stressed that this must be weighed against some of the apparent breakdowns that the country's elite intelligence community faced leading up to the October 7 attacks.Israel's political, intelligence, and security apparatuses came under immense scrutiny following the deadly massacre as the public tried to make sense of how the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/idf-israel-military-failed-stop-hamas-attacks-country-troubles-deeper-2023-10">worst breach of the country's defenses</a> since the 1973 Yom Kippur War could occur.Top officials <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/idf-elite-intelligence-unit-saw-signs-hamas-prepared-attack-report-2023-11">missed and ignored several warnings</a> that Hamas was preparing a major attack, believing such an event couldn't happen and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-probe-said-to-find-pre-oct-7-intel-shouldve-been-enough-to-thwart-hamas-attack/">failed to respond</a> to signs of an imminent attack. In April, Israel's military intelligence chief <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68873227.amp">resigned</a> and said his directorate "did not live up to the task we were entrusted with."Hoffman said Israel's recent string of targeted killings is its attempt to reestablish the dominant reputation of its intelligence community and restore its deterrent capability so it can make good on future threats and appear stronger in the face of regional adversaries like Iran."Israel understands that reputation is everything in the Middle East," Hoffman said. "So gaining that back with this particular series of assassinations was absolutely pivotal."

Israel scored major intelligence wins in daring assassinations of Iranian proxy leaders 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>More than six months after Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre, Israel is still fighting the militants in Gaza.</li><li>The IDF has managed to kill some of Hamas' top commanders, but it continues to hunt down others.</li></ul>More than six months into its war in Gaza, Israel has little to show for its efforts. It has been unable to kill or capture the most senior members of Hamas' leadership, and its scorched-earth offensive has left a trail of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-pounding-gaza-massive-spice-kit-bombs-2023-12">death and destruction</a> in its wake.Israel's inability thus far to eliminate the top Hamas commanders it wants most is complicating ones of its stated war aims: crushing the militant group. Officials have said that the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/researchers-mapped-gaza-damage-buildings-destroyed-israel-hamas-2023-12">devastating war</a> — triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre that killed some 1,200 people — will continue until the country achieves its goals, which include returning all the hostages, destroying Hamas, and demilitarizing the entirety of Gaza.But securing these objectives in full is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-no-win-situation-gaza-after-months-war-crush-hamas-2024-1">proving to be elusive</a> for the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF. Fears are growing that many of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hamas-may-not-have-enough-living-hostages-for-cease-fire-deal-61606c66?mod=hp_lead_pos3">remaining hostages</a> may already be dead, Israeli clearing operations throughout Gaza have not prevented Hamas from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/idf-retreat-al-shifa-hospital-palestinians-rubble-dead-rcna147061">returning to areas</a> that were once the sites of hard-fought and bloody battles, and there doesn't seem to be a clear consensus on a workable post-war governance plan.Israel has claimed that it has eliminated a significant number of mid- to senior-level commanders of Hamas' military wing, known as the al-Qassam Brigades. In December, for instance, the IDF <a target="_blank" href="https://videoidf.azureedge.net/1543a902-563c-4939-8393-7256844f7c38">released a photo</a> purporting to show multiple commanders it had killed.<div type="image" title="Israeli soldiers are seen near the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel on March 4, 2024." height="3744" width="5616" msid="109272057" hostid="261" sizebytes="500192"></div>A mid-March Israeli airstrike killed Marwan Issa, the deputy head of Hamas' military wing who had been hiding in an underground compound in central Gaza, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.idf.il/185100">according</a> to the IDF.Jake Sullivan, who serves as the White House national security advisor, identified Issa as Hamas' "number three" in Gaza and said that after his death last month that Israel had "killed thousands of Hamas fighters, including senior commanders."The exact number of militants killed is unclear. Israel said in late-February that it had <a target="_blank" href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-says-12000-hamas-fighters-killed-in-gaza-war-double-the-terror-groups-claim/">killed 12,000 members</a> of Hamas' 30,000-strong pre-war force. Hamas, by contrast, claimed at the time that its death toll was only half of that figure.As of this week, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7, including 25,000 women and children, according to figures released by Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. The death toll, which is cited by the United Nations, does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.<div type="image" title="Palestinians walk through the destruction in the wake of an Israeli air and ground offensive in Khan Younis on April 8, 2024." height="5492" width="8238" msid="109272060" hostid="261" sizebytes="2268502"></div>Israel has also managed to strike at Hamas' political wing, which operates in exile in Qatar.An <a target="_blank" href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/saleh-al-arouri-mastermind-of-hamas-terrorism-in-west-bank-hostage-deal-negotiator/">early January explosion</a> in a Beirut suburb eliminated Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas' <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-hamas">political bureau</a>, which is often referred to as its politburo. He was the militant group's senior official in Lebanon, responsible for maintaining ties with Hezbollah, another Iran-backed proxy force like Hamas.And more recently, on Wednesday, the IDF and Israel's Shin Bet security agency confirmed in a joint <a target="_blank" href="https://t.me/idfofficial/7409">announcement</a> that an airstrike in central Gaza had killed three sons of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas' political wing.All three men were known to be Hamas military operatives, Israel said. Haniyeh <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/68783840">responded</a> to their deaths by stating that this incident would not change his demands to stop the fighting.<div type="image" title="Smoke rises to the sky after an explosion in Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel on April 4, 2024." height="1448" width="2166" msid="109272063" hostid="261" sizebytes="57316"></div>But several <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/12/israel-gaza-hamas-leaders/">top Hamas military leaders</a>, including those most wanted by Israel, remain at-large. This includes figures such as Yahya Sinwar, the overall head of the organization in Gaza, his brother Mohammed, a leader in the al-Qassam Brigades, and Mohammed Deif, who is the commander of the military wing."The rest of the top leaders are in hiding, likely deep in the Hamas tunnel network," Sullivan said during a March White House briefing. "And justice will come for them too, and we are helping to ensure that."Hamas' vast and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-invasion-gaza-hamas-hardest-fighting-underground-tunnels-warfare-2023-10">sophisticated tunnel network</a> underneath Gaza — where the militants have been able to hide and facilitate the movement of weapons, and from which they can launch surprise assaults — has proven to be a headache for Israeli forces.Retired Maj. Gen. Charlie Herbert, a former officer in the British army, told Business Insider that Hamas leaders who are hiding below ground are able to maintain operational, personal, and communications security there.<div type="image" title="A supporter of the Iran-backed Houthi militia holds a poster of Yahya Sinwar during a protest marking Jerusalem Day in support of Palestinians in Yemen on April 5, 2024." height="1446" width="2174" msid="109272065" hostid="261" sizebytes="158640"></div>Israel's inability to kill them is less of an intelligence failure, said Herbert, who has also served as the senior NATO advisor to Afghanistan's interior ministry, and more that the country has yet to link any intelligence success it does have with an effective kinetic strike targeting the senior leaders.Israel has found "no real success" at getting Sinwar over the last six months, Herbert said. What it needs to do instead, he argued, is pivot away from major combat operations toward a more targeted and methodical campaign that also reduces civilian casualties, allows displaced Palestinians to return to their homes, and boosts the flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.Herbert said the Israeli military should "retain freedom of maneuver into Gaza for their military forces as and when they require and conduct an intelligence-driven counter-terrorist strategy, whacking Hamas as and when you can do."Indeed, on Thursday, the IDF announced it was beginning a "precise operation" in central Gaza, seemingly marking a new phase in its efforts to hunt down Hamas leaders. It was unclear if the move came in direct response to the killings of Haniyeh's sons the day prior.<div type="image" title="Israeli soldiers work on tanks at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on April 11, 2024." height="3744" width="5616" msid="109272066" hostid="261" sizebytes="1236372"></div>"Overnight, the 162nd Division began a precise, intelligence-based operation to eliminate terrorist operatives and strike terrorist infrastructure in central Gaza," the IDF said in a <a target="_blank" href="https://t.me/idfofficial/7411">statement</a> shared to the Telegram messaging platform. What that may look like is a mystery though.The IDF announcement came just days after the IDF withdrew its forces from the southern city of Khan Younis. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the move was to prepare for "future missions," including a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/netanyahu-says-civilians-in-rafah-can-just-move-away-from-an-israeli-ground-invasion">planned offensive in Rafah</a>, where scores of civilians are sheltering.The potential Rafah assault has drawn <a target="_blank" href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-administration-odds-israel-plans-rafah-invasion/story?id=109046510">concern and pushback</a> from Western governments, including the Biden administration, amid rising international criticism of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-israel-tensions-boil-after-un-ceasefire-vote-rafah-plans-2024-3">Israel's aggressive military campaign</a> as the death toll continues to mount and the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen.

Israel is struggling to find and kill the top Hamas commanders it wants most

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hamas is demanding that Israel releases Marwan Barghouti.</li><li>Some Palestinians regard Barghouti as a heroic Nelson Mandela figure.</li></ul>Hamas is demanding that Israel releases the high-profile Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti amid tense cease-fire talks, <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-marwan-barghouti-ceasefire-deal-fb3152db0cc4d37683a2019017e34bc1">The Associated Press reported</a>.As the most well-known prisoner held by Israel and a potential future Palestinian president, Barghouti's freedom is at the center of negotiations.The Palestinian militant group's aims appear to be twofold — increase public support for their party and recognize Barghouti's rare position as a unifier among Palestinians, per the report."Hamas wants to show to the Palestinian people that they are not a closed movement. They represent part of the Palestinian social community. They are trying to seem responsible," Qadoura Fares from the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoner Affairs in the West Bank territory told The AP.According to the think tank the <a target="_blank" href="https://ecfr.eu/special/mapping_palestinian_politics/marwan_barghouti/">European Council on Foreign Relations</a>, Barghouti is "often described by Palestinians as the 'Palestinian Mandela.'" He is seen as a potential presidential successor to the aging Mahmoud Abbas.Nelson Mandela was the leader of the resistance to the apartheid regime in South Africa who spent 27 years in prison. He went on to become the nation's first Black president.Barghouti, 64, was a leading member of the secular Fatah movement and supported the peace process with Israel in the 1990s but became disillusioned. He went on to lead the Second Intifada (uprising) that begun in 2000.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13628771">Barghouti was arrested in 2002</a> and is serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison for his part in several deadly suicide bombing attacks on Israeli targets.Throughout his trial, Barghouti refused to recognize the Israeli court's legitimacy and defend himself.In the past, he has said he supports attacks on Israel's occupation of the West Bank but<a target="_blank" href="https://www.medea.be/en/themes/biographies/abc/barghouti-marwan/"> does not endorse the killing of Israelis within the pre-1967 border.</a><div type="image" title="Palestinian woman looks at a mural depicting Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti." height="1333" width="2000" msid="107403263" hostid="261" sizebytes="260592"></div>Despite decades in incarceration, Barghouti still enjoys widespread respect and support among all Palestinian factions.He is the most popular politician among Palestinians, ahead of Abbas and Hamas' leader, Ismail Haniyeh, <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-palestinians-opinion-poll-wartime-views-a0baade915619cd070b5393844bc4514">according to an opinion poll published in December</a>. Hamas' demands come as international mediators continue to search for an end to the conflict after nearly four months of fighting, which broke out following Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel.The attacks killed around 1,200 people in Israel, while roughly 240 others were taken hostage in Gaza.Israel launched a series of devastating airstrikes and a ground invasion of the territory in response to the attacks, which have left more than 27,000 Palestinians dead so far.Israel is demanding that Hamas releases over 100 hostages, while the latter is calling for Israel to cease its offensive and release thousands of prisoners.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under mounting pressure to reach a deal over the Israeli hostages as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hamas-hostages-protest-tel-aviv-banjamin-netanyahu-resign-gaza-2023-10?r=US&amp;IR=T">protesters continue to voice their anger over his handling of the situation.</a>

You Searched For "Who was Haniyeh" and got 8 results

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