Ismail Haniyeh was until this past July the leader of the terror group Hamas. He lived in Doha, Qatar, protected by many layers of security provided by the rulers of Qatar, the Al-Thani family. But the Israelis managed to kill him while he was on a visit to Iran. The Mossad knew when he arrived in Tehran, and where — in what room of what guest house, that was provided with the highest possible security — he would be staying. One of its operatives managed to plant a bomb in his pillow that blew the arch-terrorist to smithereens. How the Mossad accomplished this remarkable feat can be found here: “Man on the inside? Details of Haniyeh assassination in the heart of Tehran revealed,” by Mathilda Heller, Jerusalem Post, December
…Haniyeh, who lived in Doha, Qatar, used to travel to three major cities: Istanbul, Moscow, and Tehran.
Journalist Dr Ronen Bergman, an expert on Israel’s targeted assassinations, explained that he could not be assassinated in Qatar as this would have harmed the hostage mediation efforts.
On top of this, “Erdogan’s anger [at an assassination in Istanbul] would have led to very serious consequences, and Moscow – let’s say Putin would not have been very happy,” said Bergman. “This left Tehran.”…
The elite Ansar al-Mahdi unit of the IRGC was in charge of guarding Haniyeh. “These guards are selected after a great many tests and security investigations,” explained Sabti….
A bomb was planted in a pillow in Haniyeh’s room in advance. However, the bomb was slightly bigger than planned “because there was no bomb of the appropriate size available,” Bergman revealed.
The plan also nearly fell apart at the last minute as the air-conditioning in Haniyeh’s room broke down, and he had to leave.
“The operation was walking a tightrope,” a source told N12.
“There was a fear that his room would be replaced with another. However, they managed to fix the air conditioner, and he returned to the room.”
At 1:30 a.m., there was a huge explosion in the compound.
“After about a minute, the medical team declares him dead, and then [now-Hamas leader] Khalil al-Hayya enters and sees his colleague lying dead and bleeding on the ground, and he himself falls to his knees and bursts into tears,” said Bergman. “It’s a dramatic moment.”…
How did Mossad know that al-Hayya fell to his knees and burst into tears at the sight of Haniyeh’s body? Did it have an agent on the spot, perhaps a member of the medical team? Or had it placed a hidden camera in Haniyeh’s bedroom?
The precision and success of the operation reportedly sowed panic in the Iranian leadership, and the commander of the Quds Force, Ismail Qaani, disappeared for three weeks.
To this day, the question of who assisted the Mossad in the complex operation remains.
“Who could have done it? There are three groups,” explains Ronen Bergman. “Iranian citizens who live in the area, members of the Revolutionary Guards, and Hamas members. It is likely that the Iranians are looking, and Hamas is also looking, in all these different groups.”…
“It probably involves some people who betrayed their country or betrayed their mission and cooperated to allow this to happen.”
That’s how Haniyeh was killed. And six months after his death, the Iranians nor Hamas still have no idea who was responsible for pinpointing Haniyeh’s location in Tehran, or who placed the explosive inside Haniyeh’s pillow, in a particular bedroom, in one of the most heavily guarded buildings in Tehran, and detonated it — as Haniyeh slept — from afar.
The Mossad, it is clear, neither slumbers nor sleeps.
somehistory says
When reading this report yesterday, I had hoped that the details wouldn’t become better, wider, known and put more lives in jeopardy. This page has a few details the other one didn’t. I hope no articles explain more about this.
gravenimage says
Agreed, Somehistory, We don’t need to know the details–nor do Jihad terrorists.
Transmaster says
What a nice problem to have, the bomb was too big.
James Lincoln says
Transmaster,
Kinda like having “too much beer” for the big game….
Tony says
Islam is a corrupt and deceitful ideology, and Muslims can never trust another Muslim or Non-Muslims as Muslims seek ultimate power and control. Allah offers endless enmity and hatred towards Israel, Christians, and all Non-Muslims when Quran 5:14 says, “And some of those who say, ‘Surely we are Nasara (Christians),’ we took their covenant. So they have forgotten a part of what they were reminded of, so we have stirred up enmity and hatred among them until the resurrection day. And Allah will inform them of what they were doing.”
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I can get how Israel couldn’t have assassinated him in Qatar, since Doha was mediating b/w the 2. I can also get why Israel wouldn’t want to provoke Putin, so Moscow was out of the question. However, there was no point in trying to placade Erdogan, who’s already a megalomaniac. If Israel wanted to target Haniyeh in Istanbul, they could have, just like the Saudis did for Jamal Khashoggi
somehistory says
Perhaps while he was meeting with er dog a wan…two for the price of one.
rick says
Erdogan is a nut job. He would bankrupt Turkey to purchase a nuclear bomb which he would try to drop/ walk-in/ sail in/ drive in to Israel. He might accept even a very dirty bomb from Iran.
There are ways to end his regime without firing a bullet. See my comment further down this line.
rick says
Nice article. Finally learned something.Was he in bed when it exploded or just in the room and the bomb was powerful enough?
If he was sleeping was his head detached from his body? That would be a new and novel way of beheading a Muslim terrorist, a symbolism would be clearly understood by every jihadist in the world.
If the killing of Ismail Haniyeh was done in Turkey I believe Erdogan would spend every lira in Turkey to buy a nuclear bomb which he would put on a ship to ram Israel with. Turkey would be bankrupted by the purchase but it would be the first time one ever saw him smile. A nut job who should be targeted by Trump. Not violently but by downgrading the Turkish Lira by so much that the Turkish people would demand he leave. No one dies and Erdogan goes into retirement.Everyone is happy.
Gurek says
The “Turkish” Muslims who are a disgrace to their non-Muslim, Shamanic, Buddhistic and eastern Christian ancestors, will continue to blindly support dictator Erdogan even if their mouths stink from hunger. As evidenced.
Mike says
Of all the groups in the world, I would rank number one Mossad as the one I would not want to have trying to get me. It seems they can reach onto just about anywhere and take someone out. Did they ever take out an enemy within the USA?
Taffy says
Don’t buy the bomb smuggled into the room scenario just because the Jerusalem Post published it. There is a lot of misinformation floating around out there, And the source of this misinformation is the Mossad itself. Why would Mossad tell the world exactly how they effected the assassination? Did it ever occur to anybody, that the Mossad may wish to do the same thing another day with another terrorist? A fly by wire or laser beam missile sent through the window of Haniyeh‘s room makes much more sense. The fantastic story of the air conditioning breaking and being fixed just in time is the stuff spy thrillers is made of rather than the real story of how the assignation actually went down.
sporticus says
Agree absolutely.
The detailed logistics of the op are just not in the JP article nor should we expect any to be published. Instead we get the absurd story of a pillow. What could be more vulnerable to detection than a pillow case bomb? Even if it was set up just in time by some femme-fatale or just the room-maid or bell-boy, the post-mortem would know all about it (corridor CCTV, elementary) but instead the fabled Revolutionary Guard are looking all over the place for the Jew…maybe they are behind that tree over there -go and look, if you dare.
Peter Williamson says
I hope Mossad repeats this tactic with Erdogan.
James Lincoln says
Perhaps the Mossad can advise the incoming Trump Administration about reforming our FBI, CIA, etc.
gravenimage says
How Haniyeh Died
……………………………
Mossad is brilliant. kudos to them!