Israel’s planned assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Hamieh on July 31st was nearly thwarted due to a malfunctioning air conditioner, Channel 12 has revealed. The operation in Tehran hit a last-minute hurdle when Mr. Haniya left the room to deal with an issue, raising fears that he would move elsewhere and derail the mission. Ta.
Haniya’s name was high on Israel’s target list after the events of October 7, 2023. Haniyeh lived primarily in Qatar, and removing him there risked jeopardizing hostage negotiations brokered by Doha. Israel considered Turkey, Moscow and Tehran as alternative locations, but ruled out Turkey and Russia due to potential diplomatic conflicts with their leaders. Tehran therefore became an ideal location for the mission.
Haniya frequently stayed at an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) guesthouse in Saadat Abad, an upscale district in northern Tehran. Despite the IRGC’s tight security, Israeli intelligence was deeply infiltrated and organized the attack.
The operation was initially aimed at targeting Haniyeh, who visited former Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi for his funeral in May. But other concerns delayed the mission. Israel resumed plans while Haniyeh returned home for Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian’s inauguration.
The plan included planting an improvised explosive device (IED) in Haniya’s room. However, just before the scheduled explosion, the room’s air conditioning unit malfunctioned. When Haniya left to request assistance, Israeli operatives feared he would be moved to another room, jeopardizing months of preparations. After a nervous wait, the air conditioner was fixed and Haniya returned.
At 1:30 a.m., the IED exploded, killing Haniya instantly and shaking the Revolutionary Guard compound. Haniya’s deputy, Khalil al-Haya, reportedly broke down in tears when he saw the Hamas leader’s lifeless body.
The assassination embarrassed Iran and caused panic within the Revolutionary Guards. Esmail Qaani, head of the elite Quds Force, briefly disappeared while authorities investigated the break-in. Qani initially reported to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that Haniyeh had been killed in a missile attack, but it soon became clear that the real cause was a bomb.
Iran postponed retaliation until October 1, when it launched a missile attack on Israel. However, the attack was largely thwarted by Israeli, US and Jordanian forces.
Yahya Sinwar replaced Ismail Haniyeh as head of the Hamas Political Bureau. Shinwar’s tenure in office was short-lived, as he was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza on October 16.
