By Muhammed Enes Calli
ISTANBUL (AA) — An explosive device was placed under the bed of assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh by two Iranians recruited by Israeli spy agency Mossad, according to a recent report.
The two Iranians involved were members of the Ansar al-Mahdi security unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the very group responsible for protecting the building and its guests, according to the Jewish Chronicle.
"The Iranians themselves realized this after the assassination, when the guards were seen on security camera footage on the day of the assassination moving stealthily in the hallway towards the room where Haniyeh planned to stay, opening the door with a key and entering the room," the report said.
"Three minutes later the guards (who were offered a six-figure sum each as well as immediate relocation to a northern European country) were captured on camera calmly leaving the room, going down the stairs towards the main entrance of the building, leaving and then getting into a black car."
The parking lot guard identified them and opened the gate without any inquiry and an hour later, they were extracted from Iran by the Mossad, it said.
After deciding to proceed with Haniyeh's assassination, the Mossad was looking for an opportune moment to execute the plan.
And it was when Haniyeh received an invitation to Tehran for the inauguration of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
"The Mossad, with the assistance of intelligence unit 8200 (the IDF unit responsible for clandestine operations), intercepted phone calls between the organisers of the inauguration and the invited guests."
"When Haniyeh confirmed his arrival, the Mossad began executing the plan; eliminate Haniyeh in the guest house where he usually stayed during his visits to Tehran," it said.
Tensions are running high in the Middle East following the July 31 assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital Tehran and Israel's assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of carrying out Haniyeh’s assassination, while Tel Aviv has not confirmed or denied its responsibility. Iran vowed a "harsh punishment" for Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Haniyeh on its soil.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah group is also expected to retaliate after Israel assassinated Shukr in an airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut on July 30.
The escalation comes amid an ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza which has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians following Hamas's Oct. 7 attack last year.