IRGC members planted bomb that killed Ismail Haniyeh - report

The explosive charge placed under the bed of senior Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh was planted by two Iranians recruited by the Mossad from the Ansar al-Mahdi unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to a report in the UK paper The Jewish Chronicle.

The alleged agents were part of the unit charged with guarding the building and its guests, the report said.

Iran understood what happened after the assassination, the Jewish Chronicle said, as the guards were seen in the security camera footage walking quietly down the hallway towards the room where the target planned to stay, unlocking the door and entering the room. Three minutes later, the guards - who were each offered a six-figure sum and immediate relocation to a country in Northern Europe - were caught on camera calmly exiting the room, descending the stairs towards the main entrance of the building, exiting, and then getting into a black car. The guard at the parking barrier recognized them and opened the gate without asking any questions. An hour later, they were smuggled out of Iran by the Mossad, the report said.

Reports suggested that the device was placed in the cabin weeks or months before the explosion. The JC reports that "this is not true". Security cameras show it was placed on the day of the explosion, at 16:23 - about nine hours before its activation as the cabin entered the room. The explosion, remotely triggered by a robot, occurred after midnight, precisely at 01:37 in the morning local time.

To prevent potential exposure, the agency planted flat, explosive material measuring an inch wide and two inches long under the bed. To minimize harm to innocent civilians, they used a bomb known for its precision, aimed only at the tenant's room. As a result, only one specific area in the building was damaged.

Following the decision to carry out the elimination of the target, the Mossad began searching for a suitable opportunity to strike. It arose when the target was invited to Tehran for the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian president. The agency, with the assistance of the IDF Intelligence Unit 8200, intercepted phone calls between the inauguration organizers and the invitees. When the target confirmed his arrival, the agency began executing the plan: to eliminate the target at the guesthouse where he usually stayed during his visits to Tehran.