Israel’s Minister of Defence Israel Katz has for the first time publicly acknowledged that his country assassinated Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, warning that the Yemen-based Houthis will also be struck a “severe blow”.

The Israeli official threatened to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen.

Israel's defence minister has for the first time acknowledged that Israel killed Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July. Israel Katz made the comments in a speech vowing to target the heads of the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen,

CAIRO (Reuters) -Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz admitted on Monday for the first time publicly to Israel's killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July, further risking tensions between Tehran and its arch-enemy Israel in a region shaken by Israel's war in Gaza and the conflict in Lebanon.