President Biden and his advisors were reportedly “outraged” by Haniyeh’s killing, did not have knowledge in advance about plan to slay Hamas leader.
By World Israel News Staff
The Biden administration was “outraged” by the assassination of Hamas politburo head Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, due to fears that the killing could derail a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
White House officials “responded with surprise and outrage” to news of Haniyeh’s killing on July 31st, the Washington Post reported.
Rather than viewing the assassination as a crucial military victory for Israel in its ongoing war against Hamas, the Biden administration considered the slaying to be a “setback” to ongoing negotiations to end the fighting in Gaza.
Although Israel has not officially taken responsibility for Haniyeh’s slaying, the Post reported that Jerusalem informed Washington that it was behind the hit.
The Post added that the White House was furious about Israel’s strikes against senior Hamas and Hezbollah commanders.
The fact that the operations were carried out without Israel informing the U.S. in advance “enraged Biden officials and the president himself.”
Israel reportedly admitted its involvement in Haniyeh’s assassination during a “tense” phone conversation between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In that call, Biden was said to have told Netanyahu to “stop bulls****ng” me, after the Israeli premier said he intended to send a delegation to resume ceasefire and hostage release talks.
The White House’s angry response to Haniyeh’s slaying reflects an overall culture of blaming Jerusalem for worsening tensions in the region.
“Over the course of the conflict, many U.S. officials have come to see Netanyahu, rather than Iran, as the chief wild card in containing a broader regional conflagration,” read the Post report.
The Biden administration has been heavily pressuring Israel to limit its response to an expected attack by Iran.
Hebrew-language Kan News reported that a senior Biden official had warned Jerusalem not to strike back forcefully,
“Don’t push it,” the unnamed official reportedly told Jerusalem.
“Think carefully before you attack in return. The goal at the end of the day is not to lead to an all-out war.”
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