Hamas considers targeting Israelis abroad following Haniyeh assassination - N12 report

Haniyeh, a senior Hamas leader, was killed on July 31, 2024, in Tehran, Iran, where he was attending the inauguration of Iran's new president.

 A DEMONSTRATOR holds up a poster of former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, at a protest in Sanaa, Yemen, earlier this month.  (photo credit: KHALED ABDULLAH/REUTERS)
A DEMONSTRATOR holds up a poster of former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, at a protest in Sanaa, Yemen, earlier this month.
(photo credit: KHALED ABDULLAH/REUTERS)

Following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas's political wing is reportedly considering targeting Israelis abroad, according to a report by N12.

Haniyeh, a senior Hamas leader, was killed on July 31, 2024, in Tehran, Iran, where he was attending the inauguration of Iran's new president.

Conflicting reports suggest that he was killed by a short-range projectile, however the Jerusalem Post independently confirmed that he was killed by a remotely detonated explosive device.

His death marked a significant escalation in the Israel-Hamas conflict, with Iran and Hamas blaming Israel for the attack.

The report indicated that it is still unclear whether Hamas will focus on tourists or high-ranking Israeli officials. Until now, this strategy has been primarily employed by Iranian and Hezbollah operatives, not by Hamas.

 Passengers wait to check in at Ben Gurion airport (credit: ALDEN TABAC)
Passengers wait to check in at Ben Gurion airport (credit: ALDEN TABAC)

NSC puts out travel warning

Earlier this month, Israel's National Security Council sent out a travel warning, raising awareness of the possibility of revenge attacks.

"Following recent events, Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas (alongside other terrorist factions) have declared their intention to take revenge for the death of Hamas' political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and of the head of Hezbollah's strategic unit, Fuad Shukr (Sayyid Muhsan). It is possible that they will retaliate against Israeli/Jewish targets abroad, such as embassies, synagogues, Jewish community centers, etc.," the NSC said in a statement.