Israel acknowledges it killed Hamas ex-leader Haniyeh in Tehran

Defence Minister Israel Katz on Monday acknowledged that Israel had killed former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this year, as he warned the military would "decapitate" the leadership of Yemen's Huthi rebels.

"We will strike hard at the Huthis... and decapitate their leadership -- just as we did with Haniyeh, (Yahya) Sinwar, and (Hassan) Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon, we will do so in Hodeida and Sanaa," Katz said.

His remarks at an event at the defence ministry mark the first public acknowledgement that Israel was behind the late July killing of Haniyeh in the Iranian capital.

"Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have his hand cut off, and the long arm of the IDF (Israeli military) will strike him and hold him accountable," Katz said, according to a statement issued by the ministry.

Until now Israel had never admitted to killing Haniyeh, but Iran and Hamas had blamed it for the Hamas political leader's death.

Haniyeh, who was seen as leading Hamas's negotiation efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza, was killed in a guesthouse in Tehran on July 31, reportedly by an explosive device that had been placed by Israeli operatives weeks before.

A day earlier, Haniyeh had attended the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

On September 27, Israel killed Nasrallah in a Beirut bombing, which was followed by the killing of Haniyeh's successor Sinwar on October 16 in Gaza.

Israeli officials say Sinwar masterminded the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, which sparked the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Israel says intercepted projectile fired from Yemen

The Israeli army said Tuesday it had intercepted a projectile fired from Yemen after air raid sirens sounded in the center and south of Israel.

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago, a projectile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted prior to crossing into Israeli territory," the Israeli army said on Telegram.

"Rocket and missile sirens were sounded following the possibility of falling shrapnel from the interception."

Israel's emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, reported no injuries from the projectile.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday warned the Iran-backed Huthi rebels of Yemen, who last week fired two missiles at Israel, including one that injured 16 people in the commercial hub of Tel Aviv on Saturday.

"I have instructed our forces to destroy the infrastructure of Huthis, because anyone who tries to harm us will be struck with full force," he told lawmakers, "even if it takes time."

Israeli warplanes retaliated against ports and energy infrastructure, which the military said contributed to Huthi rebel operations, after a rebel missile badly damaged an Israeli school last week.

The Huthis said the Israeli strikes killed nine people.