Haniyeh assassinated by ‘2 Mossad recruits in Iran’s revolutionary guards’

An explosive device was placed under the bed of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh by two Iranians recruited by Israeli spy agency Mossad, it has been claimed. According to the Jewish Chronicle, the two Iranians involved were members of the Ansar Al-Mahdi security unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the group responsible for protecting the building and its guests.

“The Iranians themselves realised this after the assassination, when the guards were seen on security camera footage on the day of the assassination moving stealthily in the hallway towards the room where Haniyeh planned to stay, opening the door with a key and entering the room,” said the report in the pro-Israel newspaper. “Three minutes later the guards (who were offered a six-figure sum each as well as immediate relocation to a northern European country) were captured on camera calmly leaving the room, going down the stairs towards the main entrance of the building, leaving and then getting into a black car.”

The car park guard identified them and opened the gate without any inquiry and, an hour later, they were extracted from Iran by Mossad, it said.

After deciding to proceed with Haniyeh’s assassination, Mossad was looking for an opportune moment to execute the plan. It came when Haniyeh received an invitation to Tehran for the inauguration of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

“Mossad, with the assistance of intelligence unit 8200 (the Israel Defence Forces unit responsible for clandestine operations), intercepted phone calls between the organisers of the inauguration and the invited guests,” explained the Jewish Chronicle. “When Haniyeh confirmed his arrival, the Mossad began executing the plan; eliminate Haniyeh in the guest house where he usually stayed during his visits to Tehran.”

Tensions are running high in the Middle East following the 31 July assassination of the Hamas political chief in the Iranian capital Tehran, as well as Israel’s assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of Haniyeh’s assassination, while Tel Aviv has neither confirmed nor denied its responsibility. Iran vowed a “harsh punishment” for Israel in retaliation for the political murder on its soil. Lebanon’s Hezbollah is also expected to retaliate after Israel assassinated Shukr in an air strike on a southern suburb of Beirut on 30 July.

The escalation comes amid the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza which has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, since October last year.

READ: Israel bombed 17 schools in Gaza in July: OHCHR