Israel’s deliberate assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Hamiyeh on July 31 was almost foiled by a damaged air-con unit, a Channel 12 report has revealed. The operation in Tehran confronted a last-minute hurdle when Haniyeh left his room to handle the difficulty, elevating fears that he is perhaps moved to a distinct location and derail the mission.
Haniyeh’s identify was positioned excessive on Israel’s goal record after the occasions of October 7, 2023. Though he primarily lived in Qatar, eliminating him there risked jeopardising hostage negotiations mediated by Doha. Israel thought of different places – Turkey, Moscow, and Tehran – however then dominated out Turkey and Russia as a result of potential for a diplomatic fallout with their leaders. Tehran, subsequently, grew to become the perfect location for the mission.
Haniyeh steadily stayed at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) guesthouse in Sa’adat Abad, a complicated northern Tehran neighbourhood. Regardless of tight IRGC safety, Israeli intelligence leveraged deep infiltration to orchestrate the assault.
The operation initially aimed to focus on Haniyeh throughout his go to for the funeral of former Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi in Could. However different considerations delayed the mission. Israel resumed plans throughout Haniyeh’s return for the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The plan concerned putting in an improvised explosive gadget (IED) in Haniyeh’s room. Nevertheless, simply earlier than the scheduled detonation, the room’s air-con unit broke down. As Haniyeh left to request help, Israeli operatives feared he is perhaps moved to a different room, jeopardising months of preparation. After a tense wait, the AC unit was mounted, and Haniyeh returned.
At 1:30 am, the IED detonated, killing Haniyeh immediately and rocking the IRGC compound. Haniyeh’s deputy, Khalil al-Hayya, reportedly broke down upon seeing the Hamas chief’s lifeless physique.
The assassination embarrassed Iran, triggering panic throughout the IRGC. The pinnacle of the elite Quds Pressure, Esmail Qaani, quickly disappeared as authorities investigated the breach. Initially, Qaani knowledgeable Supreme Chief Ali Khamenei that Haniyeh was killed in a missile strike, however the true trigger – a bomb – quickly got here to mild.
Iran delayed retaliation till October 1, when it launched a missile assault towards Israel. Nevertheless, the offensive was largely thwarted by Israeli, US, and Jordanian forces.
Ismail Haniyeh was succeeded by Yahya Sinwar as Hamas politburo chief. Sinwar’s tenure was short-lived, as he was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza on October 16.
