Israel’s alleged killing of Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and Fuad Shukr, the top military commander of Iran-backed Hezbollah, has heightened the risk of escalation in the Gaza conflict and a broader regional confrontation involving Israel, Iran, and its allies. According to regional officials and analysts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears determined to expand the conflict’s scope, targeting Hamas leaders and Iranian proxies beyond Gaza. This move is seen as a significant strike against Iran and its allies, with the timing and location chosen to humiliate Tehran during its presidential inauguration ceremony attended by Haniyeh and other regional figures.
However, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday that Israel is not seeking to escalate war, but is preparing to handle all scenarios. “The performance (last) night in Beirut was focused, high quality and contained,” Gallant said, according to a statement from his office. “We don’t want war, but we are preparing for all possibilities, and that means you must be prepared as needed, and we will do our job at all the levels above you,” he said.
Israel’s counter-terrorism approach involves targeting leaders of terror groups, experts said, adding that there is widespread agreement among Israelis that those responsible for a recent massacre should be brought to justice. But, the development carries significant risks considering the gravity of the matter including potentially derailing ongoing talks with Hamas to secure a ceasefire and release hostages, as well as jeopardising diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon, they added.
“It’s part of Israel’s long-term counter-terrorism paradigm that you go after the leaders of terror organizations,” Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a think tank focused on political reform and critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quoted by the Bloomberg as saying. “There’s a broad consensus among Israelis that all those who perpetrated the Oct. 7 massacre should cease to exist.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has vowed to avenge the killing of Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, calling it Iran’s “duty”. He warned Israel that it had brought harsh punishment upon itself. The incident poses a significant challenge for Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian as the country has been pursuing a strategy of indirect involvement through support for terrorist groups in various regions while avoiding direct conflict. A former commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Alai, has accused the US of collaborating with Israel in the assassination, though he provided no evidence.
