By Abdelraouf Arnaout
JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel closed its airspace from the Hadera-Haifa line northward early Wednesday, claiming that its domestic policy has not changed following the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital Tehran.
"After assessing the situation, security officials this morning ordered the closure of Israeli airspace from the Haifa line up to the northern border,” the Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.
The Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv is operating normally, the broadcaster added.
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas announced early Wednesday that Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his residence in the Iranian capital.
Iranian state television also reported Haniyeh’s death, noting that an investigation into the assassination is ongoing and that the findings will be released soon.
A statement from the Israeli army said “There are no changes in the policy for protecting the home front.”
“The military is currently assessing the situation, and if any adjustments are decided, the public will be informed through the military and home front command platforms,” the military added.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office has instructed ministers not to comment on the "dramatic assassination" in Tehran, the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
An Anadolu correspondent contacted the Israeli military on Wednesday morning to confirm Haniyeh's assassination. However, an army spokesman declined to comment, saying, "We do not comment on these reports."
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala