After the elimination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s number two Fuad Shukr within a span of 24 hours, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation on Wednesday afternoon.
Israel “will exact a heavy price from any aggression against us on any front,” he declared as Iran vows to take revenge for the overnight strike that killed Hamas’s top terrorist Haniyeh.
Jerusalem did not take responsibility for the missile strike that killed the 62-year-old Hamas terror chief at his residence in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, however, referred to Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s right-hand man, who was eliminated yesterday in a Beirut airstrike, and Mohammed Deif, Hamas’s Gaza-based deputy chief, who was taken out in a strike more than two weeks ago.
“We close accounts against all those who harm us,” the Israeli prime minister said.
Amid renewed threats from the Iranian regime, Hamas, and Hezbollah terrorist groups, Netanyahu assured that the country’s military and security services were prepared for the fallout from the elimination of high-value terrorists.
“There are challenging days ahead,” he said. “We are prepared for any scenario and will stand firm against any threat against us.”
The Israeli news website YNET published excerpts of the address:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday addressed the growing threats on Israel after it dealt “crushing blows” to Iran’s proxies and vowed to “exact a heavy price for any aggression against us.””Since the start of the war, I have made it clear that we are fighting against Iran’s Axis of Evil. This is a war for survival against a stranglehold of terrorist armies and missiles that Iran seeks to tighten around our necks,” he said in a statement shortly after a two-and-a-half-hour Security Cabinet meeting following the assassinations of top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh. (…)Netanyahu recalled visiting the site of the Hezbollah massacre in Majdal Shams, where 12 children and teenagers were killed, and expressed solidarity with the Druze community. “We settled the score with Mohsen and will settle the score with anyone who harms us,” he said, referring to Shukr by his call sign.”Citizens of Israel, challenging days are ahead. Since the Beirut attack, threats have been heard from all sides. We are prepared for any scenario and will face any threat with focus and determination. Israel will exact a heavy price for any aggression against us.”Every week, voices urge me to end the war, claiming it is unwinnable. We did not yield then, and I will not yield now. We have made significant achievements by making brave decisions despite heavy pressure.”
As the dust settles down, more details of Tuesday night’s missile strike that killed Hamas chief Haniyeh come to light.
Iran was quick to blame Israel, but questions surrounding the security breach that led to the killing of Hamas’s top terrorist still remain open.
While the Iranian regime maintains that the missile came from outside the country, Arab news reports suggest that the Hamas chief may have been killed by a projectile launched from within the country.
Many on social media are trying to locate the site of the strike. “Growing numbers of open source officials, reporters, and pro-Iranian axis social media users are claiming to publish images and the geolocation of the home where Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was allegedly staying when he was assassinated in Tehran last night,” the Times of Israel reported.
Israel’s i24NEWS channel reported the details of the strike by piecing together information from Iranian and Arab sources:
Iranian media reported on Wednesday that a bodyguard of Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas’s political bureau, leaked critical information leading to his assassination.The incident, which occurred in northern Tehran, has sent shockwaves through Iran and the broader Middle Eastern region.The missile was launched from a building close to where the Hamas leader was staying, with some reports suggesting it was fired from within Iranian territory. Sky News Arabia, citing Iranian sources, confirmed the assassination and described the precision of the attack.Senior Iranian officials expressed disbelief and concern over the breach, with sources indicating that Tehran’s leadership is reeling from the implications of this incident. The assassination not only raises questions about Iran’s internal security measures but also challenges the country’s ability to safeguard its borders against such sophisticated strikes.The Al-Mayadeen network quoted an Iranian source suggesting that the missile might have been launched from outside the country. However, the Iranian government has stated that investigations are ongoing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the assassination.Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the leader of the Islamic Jihad, was reportedly present in the same building as Haniyeh during the attack. Although al-Nakhalah was unharmed, the precision of the strike appears to have specifically targeted Haniyeh, who was on a different floor.Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran’s new president, which took place on Tuesday.The attack occurred around 2:00 AM local time, with reports indicating that a guided missile struck Haniyeh’s bedroom.
Hamas vowed to avenge the killing of its terror chief, Sky News UK reported:
In a statement, Hamas said he was killed in “a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran”.The assassination is a “cowardly act that will not go unpunished”, Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV cited senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk as saying.
Iran’s Ayatollah, Ali Khamenei, himself issued a threat, declaring to ‘punish’ Israel for taking out one of the masterminds behind the October 7 massacre.
“Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has issued an order for Iran to strike Israel directly, in retaliation for the killing in Tehran of Hamas’s leader, Ismail Haniyeh,” The New York Times reported Wednesday, citing Iranian officials.
West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, President Joe Biden’s preferred ‘partner for peace,’ declared a ‘day of mourning’ on Wednesday in memory of the slain mass murderer. “Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announces a national day of mourning today for the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Palestinian flags will be flown at half staff for the day,” the Time of Israel reported,citing PA-controlled media.
The elimination of Hamas’s top dog appears to have come as a surprise to the Biden administration. “U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the U.S. wasn’t aware of the assassination before it happened and wasn’t involved,” Axios reported.
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