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Israel's planned assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Hamiyeh on July 31 was nearly foiled by a broken air conditioning unit, a Channel 12 report has revealed. The operation in Tehran faced a last-minute hurdle when Haniyeh left his room to address the issue, raising fears that he might be moved to a different location and derail the mission.
Haniyeh's name was placed high on Israel's target list after the events of October 7, 2023. Although he primarily lived in Qatar, eliminating him there risked jeopardising hostage negotiations mediated by Doha. Israel considered alternative locations – Turkey, Moscow, and Tehran – but then ruled out Turkey and Russia due to the potential for a diplomatic fallout with their leaders. Tehran, therefore, became the ideal location for the mission.
Haniyeh frequently stayed at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) guesthouse in Sa'adat Abad, a posh northern Tehran neighbourhood. Despite tight IRGC security, Israeli intelligence leveraged deep infiltration to orchestrate the attack.
The operation initially aimed to target Haniyeh during his visit for the funeral of former Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi in May. But other concerns delayed the mission. Israel resumed plans during Haniyeh's return for the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The plan involved installing an improvised explosive device (IED) in Haniyeh's room. However, just before the scheduled detonation, the room's air conditioning unit broke down. As Haniyeh left to request assistance, Israeli operatives feared he might be moved to another room, jeopardising months of preparation. After a tense wait, the AC unit was fixed, and Haniyeh returned.
At 1:30 am, the IED detonated, killing Haniyeh instantly and rocking the IRGC compound. Haniyeh's deputy, Khalil al-Hayya, reportedly broke down upon seeing the Hamas leader's lifeless body.
The assassination embarrassed Iran, triggering panic within the IRGC. The head of the elite Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, temporarily disappeared as authorities investigated the breach. Initially, Qaani informed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that Haniyeh was killed in a missile strike, but the true cause – a bomb – soon came to light.
Iran delayed retaliation until October 1, when it launched a missile attack against Israel. However, the offensive was largely thwarted by Israeli, US, and Jordanian forces.
Ismail Haniyeh was succeeded by Yahya Sinwar as Hamas politburo chief. Sinwar's tenure was short-lived, as he was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza on October 16.