Haaretz: Haniyeh's assassination could jeopardize prisoner exchange deal

The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, may jeopardize a crucial prisoner exchange deal, according to a report by the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz.

The newspaper suggested on Thursday that “Israel” selected Tehran as the location for the operation instead of other key cities such as Doha, Ankara, or Cairo, where Haniyeh frequently traveled. 

Haaretz speculated that Tehran was chosen due to its perceived vulnerability and to avoid escalating tensions with other countries involved in the negotiations.

The report indicated that Haniyeh was not a central figure in the negotiation process, having struggled to influence Yahya Sinwar, another prominent Hamas leader, to alter his stance.

The potential impact of Haniyeh’s assassination on the prisoner exchange deal remains uncertain, however, Sinwar is not concerned, as he controls the decisions regarding Israeli prisoners. 

Therefore, the assassination of Haniyeh was not deemed necessary at this stage.

In a related development, CNN reported that according to U.S. Department of Defense officials, Iran and its allies are planning a large-scale attack on “Israeli” forces within the next 72 hours.