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.

Since launching its retaliatory war in Gaza, Israel claims to have eliminated the leaders of militant groups including, Sinwar, the mastermind of the 7 October attack on Israel, and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an airstrike on a building complex in Beirut.

Israel's defence minister has admitted that Israel killed Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July. Israel has also vowed to target the heads of the Iran-backed Houthi movement.