Many mainstream media outlets such as CNN and the New York Times have been portraying slain Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh as more moderate than Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar, but sources told the Jerusalem Post today (Thursday) that the opposite was true in recent weeks, which means a hostage deal may become more feasible with his passing.
Amid Iran's threats to attack Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Israeli officials believe that the Iranian response will come soon, but not before the weekend.
According to security assessments, Iran and Hezbollah are anticipated to launch their attack on Israel in the coming days, but they are likely to wait until after the weekend due to the ongoing funerals in Qatar and Beirut for Hezbollah's Chief of Staff and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has directed the Revolutionary Guards and Iranian-affiliated organizations to directly attack Israel in response to Haniyeh's assassination in the heart of Tehran.