Bethan McKernan – The Guardian July 31, 2024
Like all prominent Hamas figures, Ismail Haniyeh lived under the constant threat of assassination; his death in the Iranian capital of Tehran in a reported missile strike appears to be the latest daring Israeli operation targeting its enemies around the world.
In the aftermath of the Palestinian militant group’s brutal 7 October attack, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Hamas’s leadership, including those outside the Gaza Strip, were “marked for death”.
The timing and location of Haniyeh’s killing, however, means it could be yet another destabilising factor in a conflict already on the verge of escalating into a regional war. Missteps in this choreography of airstrikes and targeted killings are an ever-present possibility, and the stakes keep getting higher.
Assassinating the head of Hamas’s political bureau is ostensibly a major morale boost for Israel, a boon for the unpopular Netanyahu, and a heavy blow to the Palestinian group.
After almost 10 months of fighting in Gaza, Israel had until now failed to take out Hamas’s top leaders: the mastermind of 7 October, Yahya Sinwar, is still at large in Gaza. It is also unclear whether a massive airstrike earlier this month targeting the group’s military commander, Mohammed Deif, was successful.
The Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk confirmed that Haniyeh had died during a visit to Tehran for the inauguration of the new Iranian president. Marzouk called the killing a “grave escalation” that “will not go unpunished”, although the Islamist movement’s capacity to respond is severely diminished after almost a year of war against Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.
A response could instead come from Hamas’s allies, bringing the Middle East closer to a regional war between Israel and Iran and its proxies. Haniyeh’s death came just hours after Israel claimed it killed a top Hezbollah commander in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and the region is already bracing for the powerful Shia militia’s reaction.
Israel and Hezbollah have been fighting a war of attrition on the blue line that separates Lebanon and the Jewish state since Hezbollah joined the fighting on 8 October, and tensions have soared since an airstrike on Saturday that killed 12 children in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. Hezbollah has denied it was responsible for the attack.
Unable to protect one of its most important allies on its own soil, Iran needs to save face. A spokesperson for Iran’s supreme national security council said early on Wednesday that the perpetrators of the Tehran attack would receive “a response”, according to Lebanese network Al-Mayadeen.
Iranian state television also said the assassination would prompt “retaliation” from the Shia axis of militias around the Middle East backed by Iran. Several of these proxies, including Yemen’s Houthis, have already fired missiles and drones at Israel and US assets in the region over the last nine months, ostensibly to aid Hamas’s war effort.
The people of Gaza and Israeli hostages held in Hamas’s tunnels are the immediate victims here because a breakthrough in the protracted ceasefire talks is now even less likely.
As the head of the group’s politburo, based in the Qatari capital of Doha, Haniyeh was a key figure in talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the US aimed at a lasting ceasefire and hostage and prisoner release deal. Iranian state television said that Haniyeh’s death would delay the negotiations by “several months”.
While Hamas is used to having to replace and promote new leaders in the wake of Israeli assassinations, the loss of a globally famous figure such as Haniyeh will have a major operational impact. The 62-year-old Hamas veteran managed the movement’s relationships with allies in Tehran and around the region, including Hezbollah.
The politburo leader was also widely considered to be more pragmatic and open to negotiation with Israel than hardliners such as Sinwar, the group’s leader in Gaza.
Haniyeh was an early advocate inside Hamas for political and diplomatic efforts alongside armed resistance, and adopted his predecessor’s revised 2017 charter, which implicitly accepted the existence of Israel.
The 7 October assault was carried out partly in response to hardening attitudes towards the Palestinians in Israel as the country shifted to the right politically. It has led inevitably to intense scrutiny of Hamas’s apparent previous willingness to pursue a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
How much Haniyeh knew about the attack beforehand is not clear, although he was quick to champion it. His removal is unlikely to prompt the group to move towards a more propitiatory position.
All designed to get the right reaction so Nazi Amerika joins their Nazi Joo mates in dying Israel. Wake up Joe, & sign this.
America should tell Israel they’re not backing them for this.
The Israelis have no future in Palestine. Their fate is sealed. They will pay dearly for their ongoing crimes against Humanity since before 1948. Their Insane, Talmudic, Racist agenda will get shoved sideways up their asses!
I think it’s time for the Arab resistance to pull out all stops on Israel. Time for concerted, synchronized attacks that will put the Jew mad dog down for good. Kill all the “settlers” with precision missiles. Erdogan of Turkey needs to stop with his BS and do the same.
Hoax death. Nobody was ‘assassinated’. Show us the corpse or I call hoax. Hamas is a fictional sham muslim terror org that exists in name only. Its all being orchestrated by Israel & the Donmeh rulers of these Arab/muslim nations to advance their ‘end of days’ or WWIII scenario.
@ Crowley. Your comments reveal serious mental health issues. A full-on exorcism might help but not guaranteed.
The only thing worrying me right now is: When Israel is no more – the children of satan will seek another host country in which to continue their parasitic lifestyle. I along with most of the world’s population, do not wish to welcome them into my country – Their acitivites in Gaza ir repulsive to any decent human being
The only thing worrying me right now is: When Israel is no more – the children of satan will seek another host country in which to continue their parasitic lifestyle. I along with most of the world’s population, do not wish to welcome them into my country – Their acitivites in Gaza is repulsive to any decent human being
Iranians are proud to show the world their tolerance and accommodation to Iran’s Jews, but it would appear that Iran’s 5th column and numerous precise assassinations within that country could only be orchestrated with the collaboration of Mossad and Jews in Iran. There are exceptions, but most diaspora Jews are clearly more loyal to Israel FIRST. Why would they be any different in Iran?
HOAX
To Crowley,
Don’t be a troll. Of course it’s real and people have died. You’re in pain, I see. Open your heart to Jesus and you will be free of pain and burden. Jesus loves you, Crowley. Love him back.
Hope we could nuke the Talmudic bastards meanwhile any Jew is alive humanity is doomed .
Guardian calls this “he latest daring Israeli operation targeting its enemies around the world.”Anyone else doing this would of course be inhuman terrorists etc.
Israeli cowards would only pull this off while the US fleet is conveniently off the Lebanese coast. Jews are a cowardly sneaky people.
Posts made at 3:10 PM & 6:14 PM are by Jew-Commie ADL scum.. You see Rixon, the smears & tricks of the adl cass sunstein agents, bibletards & 77 brigade coming out against Crowley? They fear Crowley because he exposes the lies of the Semitic State & the Jew-Catholic ruling class.
Crowley = Nico X…pretty sure about this.
Fearporn for the normies ..
At first glance, this assassination makes no sense in either political or military terms. Unless of course the objective is provoke all-out war with Iran – which would then draw in the US and its European clients.
i used to know the top church of england exorcist
to watch him work was amazing Rev Christopher neil – smith said demonic enitites were behind much sexual weirdness, he had much success exorcising homosexuals
maybe huw edwards should have gone to him
and carl jones defo should
you know, this Crowley guy makes the most sense
I knew something was up with him because he likes to remind everyone kikes are Semites.
I wonder if Rixon allows him to post under many monikers in the same post because he might be his silly nephew or grandson?
@ Nico X … or “Crowley”
You cut-and-paste the same comment on various sites. I saw the exact same comment on the neo-nazi Renegade Tribune site under your other fake name Nero. Not only that, but it’s the same comment on any given issue. Try to be more substantive and original, pal. You’re just a one trick pony and this is why Unz has given you a permanent ban.
As an aside, what was I doing on a neo-nazi site? I’m just curious to see what these fringe loons are up to, that’s all.
Those horrid so-called Jew are never happy in their host country as perhaps it is time for host country to extinguish that parasite fucking shoe..
Could you agree there now Rixon as I usher to you that shoe, well just fuck you..
Under moderation you tellz me you piece O’shit. under moderation as one could read censorship you wittle black hattie cur..
By the way, just fuck you and yer censorship as shoe do as shoe do..
Thankfully as your world is at an end as everything you thought solid is just a-falling down.
Just moderate that ye bitch as yer g/children dance on yer knee…
Sammy = 👍👍👍👍👍
@Peter
Well said – I feel exactly the same…many coming to the UK, Europe and other ‘safe’ countries like Japan. They must be banned from entry as they will destroy and pervert everywhere they go. Its only a matter of time..
It sickens me how they have totally subverted my country …UK. They now feel they own it, like the US.
Exposing them & getting right in their faces is the only way to deal with this thug race of untermensch…then expulsion
1948 is when Israel got established and when Jews started furiously shovelling wogs into Britain, as if saying “We do not need our Anglo proxy any more”, but they do and it’s too late
@PETER
you are right ! since jews despise manual labour
they are skilled always to occupy the higher positions of
society in politics, state, justice, health,education,universities.
therefore they take all the positions of the goyim inteligencia .
this jewasslickers of today will dearly pay for their idiocity .
btw
the lowest job a jew will do : steering machinery goyim have
build .
More nutjobs imagining other independent posters are ‘Crowley’. Watch all the cass sunstein adl agents & envious scum like mike dung & other vermin come out inventing lies about Crowley. Why? Because they’re jealous of his genius & fear his message.
some retarded nutjob on here posted at 10:21 pm July 31 that jews aren’t semites…Probably another bibletard or christian nutter who imagines the ancient mulatto Israelites were ‘white men’…Its amazing retards like this, who are ignorant of basic history, ethnology and anthropology exist..millions of these dolts too.
“When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in confederacy against him.” –Jonathan Swift
A.A.
Some retard on here doesn’t even know Jews are Semites. lol
The troubling Jews, leading kikes in their Knesset are Ashkenazim.
Ashkenazim are not Semitic, but Palestinians are.
Stop carrying water for them. Troy
Oswald, Troy and the rest, we know all are Nico X the child wannabee Jew
Look the deranged retard still doesn’t know Jews are Semites.
Go back to school retard or go read a basic ethnology book instead of your british israel nonsense.
The word Semite comes straight out of the Bible.
It’s a Bible word created in and for the days of Noah.
You believe in the word Semite, you believe in the Bible