Fears of a fresh war in the Middle East are rising after a suspected Israeli airstrike took out a senior Hamas leader and sparked fury among the terror group’s allies.
Iran, a staunch backer of Hamas, said it is “Tehran’s duty” to seek “revenge for Ismail Haniyeh’s blood” after he was killed in the capital.
Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed to enact a “harsh punishment”.
Hamas also swore to seek “dire consequences” for the strike that killed its political leader, responsible for conducting its negotiations outside of the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Hezbollah, another Iran-backed ally in the “axis of resistance”, promised to stir up anti-Israel sentiment amongst its allies.
And the Houthis, based in Yemen, said it marks a “major escalation” in the Middle East.
It comes after Hezbollah terrorists blasted a football pitch in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in Israel’s occupied Golan Heights – killing 12 young people including children.
Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed to hit back after the deadly strike on Saturday.
Israel’s Mossad assassins could easily have eliminated Haniyeh as he led ceasefire talks in Qatar but appeared to watch and wait until he set foot on the territory of arch enemy Iran before striking.
Haniyeh and just one bodyguard were killed in the precision missile strike as they slept in a military veterans’ building in Tehran.
Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence arm somehow discovered exactly which room he was staying in within scores in the block.
A guided missile was then fired through the window of his room and detonated inside, killing him and his aide instantly.
