Tue Dec 24 04:23:47 UTC 2024: ## Israeli Minister Confirms Assassination of Hamas Leader in Iran, Vows Crackdown on Houthis
**JERUSALEM** – Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly confirmed for the first time Monday that Israel assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July. This admission further escalates tensions between Israel and Iran, already heightened by Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza and the conflict in Lebanon.
Katz made the revelation during an event honoring defense ministry personnel. He boasted of Israel’s actions against various groups, stating that Israel had “defeated Hamas, defeated Hezbollah, blinded Iran’s defense systems,” and dealt blows to the Assad regime in Syria and other perceived enemies. He explicitly threatened the Houthi rebels in Yemen, promising to target their infrastructure and leadership, mirroring the alleged assassinations of Haniyeh, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (killed in Gaza), and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (implied).
The confirmation comes amidst ongoing Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, which the group frames as solidarity with Palestinians. Haniyeh, who had been involved in international ceasefire negotiations, was killed in Tehran in late July, with Iranian authorities immediately blaming Israel. Sinwar, Haniyeh’s successor and the alleged mastermind of the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel, was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza months later. Katz’s statement significantly increases the risk of further regional escalation.
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