Israel’s ‘totally meaningless’ assassinations ‘not a game changer’: Israeli journalist Gideon Levy

“It doesn’t serve anything; not the Israeli interest, not security, nothing. It’s really a children’s game, children who all want to be James Bonds and to show how sophisticated they are.”
Hamas’ Political Bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated on Wednesday while visiting the Iranian capital, Tehran, for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian, a day after Hezbollah Commander, Fuad Shukr, was targeted in an Israeli airstrike in a southern suburb of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut.
While Hamas and Iran have blamed Israel for Haniyeh’s killing, Tel Aviv has not confirmed or denied its responsibility.
A day later, on Thursday, the Israeli military claimed it had intelligence that Hamas military commander, Mohammad Deif, was killed in a 13 July airstrike in Gaza’s Khan Yunis area. The Palestinian group, however, has not confirmed Deif’s death.
Levy stressed that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, “thinks that assassinating Haniyeh will kill Hamas and it (Israel) will achieve its goal” but that is “totally disconnected from reality.”
“On the contrary, Hamas is not weaker today; Hamas is much stronger politically than before this war,” he said.
“Politically, Hamas is today much more popular in the West Bank, in the Arab world, maybe all over the world, much more accepted … and killing Ismail Haniyeh does not change much.”
Citing Israel’s history of assassinating Hamas leaders, including its founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, he added: “Each time they told us that Hamas was crushed … and a few months later, you saw a stronger Hamas.”

‘Netanyahu does not want the war to be over’

Levy said the recent spree of assassinations ties in with Netanyahu’s aim of prolonging and possibly expanding its ongoing war on Gaza.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice for its deadly assault on the Palestinian enclave, where it has now killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, including over 27,200 women and children and injured more than 91,000 others.
Talks for a ceasefire cannot continue “when you are murdering the negotiator”, said Levy.
“Either you negotiate or you assassinate. You can’t have it both ways,” he said, adding that the negotiations “may be postponed for a long time.”
“We might face very soon a regional war and then obviously no ceasefire will be on the table and nobody will talk to Israel.”
Securing the release of Israeli hostages was never Netanyahu’s aim at any point and he is still “acting as if he wants escalation,” said Levy.
“Nobody serious can believe that killing Haniyeh will help to release the hostages. On the contrary, it is postponing it, but that’s Netanyahu’s goal,” he said.
“Netanyahu does not want the war to be over and he is doing anything possible to postpone the end of the war and the ceasefire. The price is playing with the lives of the hostages.”
After 7 October, everyone was certain Netanyahu’s career was over but he is “recovering in the polls,” said Levy.
“Netanyahu is the most hated and most beloved Israeli politician ever,” he said.
“Those who hate him will not accept anything from him and those who follow him will accept everything from him.”
Levy reiterated that the recent assassinations have brought escalation and “we are closer to a regional war.”
“If Iran will get into the picture, we have a new game, and I don’t see Iran not getting into the picture,” he added.