A report by Ahmad Abdallah, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine
The location and timing of Ismail Haniyeh's assassination were far from random. Israel could have targeted Haniyeh at his residence in Doha, but chose Iran instead to achieve a greater impact in the Middle East.
This choice was influenced by the fact that Haniyeh was under Iranian security responsibility and because Israel and its allies view Tehran as the epicenter of events, both as a host and manager of terrorism.
According to Israeli security sources reported by the Jerusalem Post, Haniyeh's assassination was initially planned to take place in Turkey last May but was canceled at the last minute.
While Tehran was holding Haniyeh's funeral, discussions were focused on the potential response, which may be delayed until Sunday, according to the Washington Post. An Arab official informed the daily newspaper that Iran would not respond to the assassination before Haniyeh's funeral in Doha on Friday, and the mourning period, which will be ending on Sunday.
As of now, there is no official information on the investigation into Haniyeh's assassination. However, the most widely circulated theory involves WhatsApp being used as the medium that led Israel to Haniyeh.
Unofficial reports suggest that a spyware system similar to Pegasus may have been used to hack Haniyeh's phone, and a conversation between Haniyeh and his son confirmed his location, leading to a direct missile strike. Other reports hint at a possible role of human agents or informants.
While the details of the operation and the response remain unclear, attention is shifting towards identifying Haniyeh's potential successor. Among the leading candidates are Khaled Mashal, Khalil al-Hayya, and Moussa Abou Marzouk.
Khaled Mashal, a founding member of Hamas and a member of its political bureau since its inception, was elected head of the bureau in 1996. Following that, he was subject to a failed assassination attempt by the Israeli Mossad in Jordan in 1997. He led the bureau until 2017 and now heads Hamas abroad.
Khalil al-Hayya, who currently holds several positions within Hamas including being a member of the political bureau and head of the Arab and Islamic Relations Office, survived multiple assassination attempts in 2007 and 2014, which resulted in the deaths of 19 of his family members.
Moussa Abou Marzouk, the only leader within Hamas' external structure from Gaza, served as the first head of the political bureau from 1992 to 1996 and is now the second deputy head of the political bureau.
Of these candidates, Khaled Mashal's prospects are gaining momentum, with discussions underway about appointing him as acting head until elections for Hamas' political bureau can be held.