How Broken AC Almost Saved Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh From Assassination

Israel’s planned assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Hamiyeh on July 31 was nearly foiled by a broken air conditioning unit, a Channel 12 report has revealed. The operation in Tehran faced a last-minute hurdle when Haniyeh left his room to address the issue, raising fears that he might be moved to a different location and derail the mission.

Haniyeh’s name was placed high on Israel’s target list after the events of October 7, 2023. Although he primarily lived in Qatar, eliminating him there risked jeopardising hostage negotiations mediated by Doha. Israel considered alternative locations – Turkey, Moscow, and Tehran – but then ruled out Turkey and Russia due to the potential for a diplomatic fallout with their leaders. Tehran, therefore, became the ideal location for the mission.

Haniyeh frequently stayed at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) guesthouse in Sa’adat Abad, a posh northern Tehran neighbourhood. Despite tight IRGC security, Israeli intelligence leveraged deep infiltration to orchestr