As Katie wrote on Tuesday, a top Hamas leader is now sleeping with the fishes. That’s inaccurate: he got turned into an ashtray under Iranian protection. Ismail Haniyah, who was the terror group’s political director, was taken out in an attack that some speculated was a missile or drone strike. It was a bomb that was smuggled into the guesthouse where Haniyah was staying. This device was reportedly planted two months ago (via NYT):
Hamas has released an Official Statement announcing the Death of Chief Political Leader, Ismail Haniyeh as a result of an Attack earlier tonight in the Iranian Capital of Tehran. Haniyeh had just met yesterday with Iranian Supreme-Leader, Ali Khamenei and President Masoud… pic.twitter.com/3CctfwW4uS
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) July 31, 2024
Despite ongoing claims by Iran that Hamas Chief Political Officer, Ismail Haniyeh, was Assassinated by an Israeli Missile Strike on his Residence in Tehran; U.S. and Middle Eastern Officials are now reported that the Hamas Leader was actually Killed by a Remote-Triggered… pic.twitter.com/6aH8MOFRzP
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 1, 2024
Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader of Hamas, was assassinated on Wednesday by an explosive device covertly smuggled into the Tehran guesthouse where he was staying, according to seven Middle Eastern officials, including two Iranians, and an American official.
The bomb had been hidden approximately two months ago in the guesthouse, according to five of the Middle Eastern officials. The guesthouse is run and protected by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and is part of a large compound, known as Neshat, in an upscale neighborhood of northern Tehran.
Mr. Haniyeh was in Iran’s capital for the presidential inauguration. The bomb was detonated remotely, the five officials said, once it was confirmed that he was inside his room at the guesthouse. The blast also killed a bodyguard.
The explosion shook the building, shattered some windows and caused the partial collapse of an exterior wall, according to the two Iranian officials, members of the Revolutionary Guards briefed on the incident. Such damage was also evident in a photograph of the building shared with The New York Times.
Mr. Haniyeh, who had led Hamas’s political office in Qatar, had stayed at the guesthouse several times when visiting Tehran, according to the Middle Eastern officials. All of the officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive details about the assassination.
Iranian officials and Hamas said Wednesday that Israel was responsible for the assassination, an assessment also reached by several U.S. officials who requested anonymity…
Israel has not publicly acknowledged responsibility for the killing, but Israeli intelligence officials briefed the United States and other Western governments on the details of the operation in the immediate aftermath, according to the five Middle Eastern officials.
Israel killed Ismail Haniyeh with a bomb placed in this guesthouse two months ago. It was a room he had used before, and went undetected this whole time.
— Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) August 1, 2024
I don't know how the Iranian regime doesn't collapse out of embarrassment at this point. pic.twitter.com/Fq6YYYNAfN
If Israel hid the bomb that killed terrorist mastermind Ismail Haniyeh TWO MONTHS AGO, that proves phenomenal intelligence capabilities.
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) August 1, 2024
I wouldn't want to be an enemy of Israel. pic.twitter.com/VK95SeQFxX
It's not funny that Israel killed the leader of Hamas by hiding a bomb under his bed.
— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) August 1, 2024
It's HILARIOUS!
You bet top Iranian government officials and intelligence agents are checking every square inch of their homes right now.