Fred Fleitz to Newsmax: Hamas Leader's Death 'Success for Israel'

The assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was a "remarkable intelligence success for Israel," former CIA Analyst Fred Fleitz said Wednesday on Newsmax.

"Let's remember that Israel has vowed to kill all the Hamas leaders for the Oct. 7 attacks," Fleitz said on "Wake Up America." "They monitor their movements very carefully."

Nobody has immediately claimed responsibility for Haniyeh's death, but Israel, which has vowed to kill him and other Hamas leaders, is the key suspect.

The Hamas leader was in Tehran to attend inauguration ceremonies for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

No details have been given about Haniyeh's death, but Fleitz said Wednesday that "apparently an Israeli airstrike took him out" while he was sleeping.

"The head of Islamic Jihad also was in the same residence and narrowly escaped being killed," Fleitz said.

He added it's not clear if Haniyeh was killed through an airstrike or a Mossad operation.

"Some type of projectile may have flown at this building," Fleitz said. "The Iranians are not going to let the world investigate. So we may not know exactly what happened."

The killing shows that when Israel says "never again," it is serious, Fleitz said.

Haniyeh, meanwhile, was the Hamas chief negotiator in the ongoing cease-fire talks in Qatar, so Israel will be condemned for killing someone who had been negotiating for Hamas, Fleitz said.

However, Haniyeh "wasn't negotiating in good faith," he added.

"He is a bloodthirsty killer," said Fleitz. "He was wanted by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. So this is something Israel had to do. But it is going to set back negotiations? Frankly, those negotiations weren't going anywhere anyway."

Former Pentagon official and retired U.S. Navy Capt. Brent Sadler also told Newsmax on Wednesday that he does not think that the killing of Haniyeh will cause wider conflict in the Middle East.

"I think, probably, the most likely we're going to see is attacks against Israeli leadership," he said. "Ambassadors and embassies are probably the most likely target in retaliation."

Fleitz also commented on reports that attacks on world leaders are in the rise, saying that he does not think the attack earlier this month on former President Donald Trump means there is "some new trend" to kill such people.

"This was gross incompetence," he said of the Trump assassination attempt. "We know world leaders are always at threat for unhinged individuals who may try to take them out."

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