Israel assassinated Hamas' top leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran last summer, Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed. The comments by Katz appeared to mark the first time that Israel has acknowledged killing Haniyeh, who died in an explosion in Tehran in July.

Hassan Nasrallah meanwhile was the leader of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah - he was assassinated in Beirut in September as Israel dramatically escalated its military campaign against Hezbollah, with which it had been trading near daily cross-border fire since the day after the 7 October attacks.

Israel confirmed Monday that it assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and issued a stark warning to the leadership of Yemen’s Houthi group, threatening similar action.

Jerusalem: Israel's defense minister has confirmed that Israel assassinated Hamas' top leader last summer and is threatening to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen.

Defence Minister Israel Katz on Monday confirmed Israel’s role in killing Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July. This is the first time Israel confessed to assassinating the Hamas leader. The confession may further trigger tension in the Middle East.

Israel Katz admitted for the first time publicly to Israel's killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July, further risking tensions in the region.

Iran denounced what it termed Israel's "brazen admission" of having killed former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this year, accusing the country of having carried out a "heinous crime" and defending its missile-strike response.

THERAN (AFP) - Iran on Tuesday (Dec 24) denounced what it termed Israel's "brazen admission" of having killed former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this year, accusing the country of having carried out a "heinous crime" and defending its missile-strike response.