Report: Israel told US it took out Haniyeh; White House felt move was provocative

Israel informed the US immediately following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh that it was behind the killing, the Washington Post reports, citing sources familiar with the White House’s thought process.

According to the newspaper, Biden administration officials were livid about the decision to take out Haniyeh, worrying it could upend months of careful negotiations toward a truce in Gaza.

The newspaper reports that US officials are also outraged over Israel failing to inform them before launching other operations to assassinate Hezbollah or Iranian commanders.

An anonymous Israeli official quoted by the Washington Post confirms that a phone call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden last week was “tense.”

However, a US official speaking to The Times of Israel rejects the Post’s characterization of Washington’s reaction, saying the White House was not outraged at Israel.

The US official notes that Haniyeh was a Hamas leader who celebrated the October 7 onslaught, so there is no remorse or mourning over his killing.

The official acknowledges that the Biden administration was surprised and concerned about the timing of the assassination and the manner in which it was carried out.

Israel has long told the US that it would try and take out every Hamas leader, but the operation inside Iran was highly provocative, the US official says.