Israel first confirms killing of Hamas leader

Israel's defence minister has acknowledged for the first time that Israel killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.

It becomes known that Israel Katz made his comments in a speech pledging that he would target the leaders of Iran-backed Houth movement in Yemen.

Hayeh was killed in a building where he was standing in the Iranian capital in an attack widely attributed to Israel.

In his speech, Katz said Israel would be “gota firmly” Howth and “will cut off his head”

“As we did with Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon, we will do so in Hodeida and Sana”, Katz said, referring to the leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas.

Haniyeh, 62, was widely considered Hamas' general leader and played a key role in negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire at the Gaza Strip, writes BBCHe's following in on Telegrafie.

After his assassination, Hamas named Jahya Sinwar, his leader in Gaza, and one of the main architects of the October 7th attacks, as the group's general leader.

Sinwar was killed by the Israeli Army at a chance meeting in Gaza in October, and the group is still in the process of electing a new leader.

Meanwhile, Hassan Nasrallah was the leader of Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah he was killed in Beirut in September, while Israel dramatically escalated his military campaign against Hezbollah.

Houth, a rebel group backed by Iran controlling northwest Yemen, began attacking Israeli and international ships at the Red Sea shortly after Israel began targeting Hamas in Gaza last October.

The group has reportedly pledged to continue with attacks until the war in Gaza is over.