Description
Dr. Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King's College London, told The Mirror he believes the assassination of Haniyeh is a "symbolic target" and that his death will be "extremely humiliating for Iran."He said: "Haniyeh is a very symbolic target. Since the October 7 Israel has made it clear that they have the intent and the capabilities to kill him when he is going overseas. He has not been in sync with operations on the ground in Gaza anymore but because he is the head of the political office, he is many ways the symbolic leader of the organisation. But neither for the negotiations nor for the conduct of the war has he been very significant. In many ways Haniyeh was disposable for both Hamas and Iran.
"This being said, Haniyeh was the guest of the Iranian regime and the fact that he was assassination as a guest of Iran makes this extremely humiliating for Iran. It is a very symbolic slap in the face by Israel. However, since Haniyeh is not Iranian, has no credentials outside of Hamas, does not represent a key node in the Axis of Resistance, and was likely assassinated from a projectile fired from outside Iran, means that Iran does not react with overwhelming force. Iran will respond temporarily and spatially removed at a time of their choosing without tipping the balance."
| Period | 31 Jul 2024 |
|---|---|
| Held at | Daily Mirror, United Kingdom |
Keywords
- Israel
- Haniyeh
- Hamas
- Iran