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Israel called for Iran to be targeted "directly" and publicly claimed responsibility for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier this year, in comments made by Israel’s former war cabinet member, Benny Gantz.

According to Israeli media, Gantz called for Israel to "target Iran directly" to stop attacks from the Houthis, adding that "the solution to putting an end to the attacks lies in Tehran".

He pressed for Israel to attack Iran and its proxies, adding "we must capitalise on the opportunity…it would be a strategic mistake of historic proportion not to".

He also went on to confirm, for the first time, that Israel was responsible for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran while he was attending the inauguration of Iran’s president in July.

"We will strike [the Houthis’] strategic infrastructure, and we will behead their leaders – just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon – we will do in Hodeidah and Sanaa" he said in comments made at an event to honour Defence Ministry personnel.

This comes after Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, told Israeli legislators that he ordered the military to destroy Houthi infrastructure in Yemen.

However, the Houthi’s have reiterated they will not stop attacks as long as Israel continues its over 14-months long war on Gaza.

"We will not stop, until the aggression against our people in Gaza stops. Netanyahu will know that the dreams of the new Middle East are nothing but a punishment for him and his imported entity" a member of the Houthis’ supreme political council wrote on social media platform X.

The Houthis have been targeting Israel linked commercial vessels in the Red Sea since the start of the war on Gaza, in solidarity with Palestinians.

The group has also targeted Tel Aviv, with the latest rocket attack taking place on Saturday, injuring dozens of people.

The attack came after Israel targeted ports and energy infrastructure in Houthi strongholds in Yemen.

Truce talks

Despite the recent escalations, various reports state Israel and Hamas are on the verge of agreeing a ceasefire deal, with progress being made. However, some gaps still remain in negotiations.  

An Israeli delegation is currently in Qatar trying to narrow gaps in the deal, ahead of a deadline set by US President-elect Donald Trump, who called for a ceasefire to be agreed prior to his inauguration in January.

Netanyahu on Monday told the Knesset that he "would like to cautiously say there is certain progress", adding he doesn’t know how much more time is needed before a deal is reached.

According to Haaretz, sources with knowledge of the talks say that more time is needed, however they are sure that gaps can be bridged.

This comes as Israel continues its attacks on Gaza, with two hospitals targeted on Tuesday and reports from Al-Jazeera stating the Israeli army detonated remote-controlled explosives in the barely functioning Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Beit Lahia.

In the last 24 hours, Israeli forces have killed at least 21 people in Gaza and wounded 51 others.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed 45,388 Palestinians since 7 October 2023 and wounded over 107,764 others in the same time frame. The war on the Strip has levelled entire neighbourhoods and plunged the Strip into a deep humanitarian crisis.