Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s death compared to that of Osama bin Laden

The killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been compared to the US execution of Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden as the Commonwealth renews warning to Australians to flee Lebanon amid fears of an escalation in the ongoing conflict.

Haniyeh was killed at his home in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Wednesday after militant group Hezbollah killed 12 children in an airstrike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights over the weekend.

Israel has yet to claim responsibility but vowed to kill Haniyeh and other leaders of Hamas over the group’s October 7 attack on Israel that killed 1200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage.

Former Australian ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma said Haniyeh was involved in the planning and execution of the October 7 attacks and was a legitimate military target similar to the execution of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011.

“Beyond its support for Hamas, Iran has increasingly sought to target Israel directly as this war has gone on,” he said.

“From the fusillade of missiles fired from Iran towards Israel in April to the use of its proxies, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen, to target Israel with strikes in recent weeks.

“Iran’s aggressive tactics mean it should not be surprised that it has itself become a target of military operations.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive officer Alex Ryvchin said Haniyeh was a cold-blooded mass killer and his death had made the world a better place.

“The death of arch-terrorist Haniyeh is a blow to the forces of evil on par with the deaths of Al-Baghdadi and Bin Laden,” he said.

“This is a man who planned and authorised hundreds of suicide bombings targeting buses and cafes, and helped turn Gaza into an enormous terrorist camp that heaped misery on Gazans and has terrorised Israelis for years.”

The ongoing war has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, whose count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

An Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah rocket strike killed 12 children in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights over the weekend.

A retaliatory Israeli airstrike killed at least three people and injured 74 in the densely populated Beirut suburb and known Hezbollah stronghold of Haret Hreik on Tuesday night in Lebanon.

Prominent Muslim community leader Dr Jamal Rifi said he knew about two dozen Australians currently in Lebanon and said he expected a rapid exodus out of Lebanon in the wake of Haniyeh’s death.

“I would be advising people to get out of Lebanon definitely,” he said.

“Right now the airport is still functioning and they should use commercial planes. We told them this war, you can’t predict what’s going to happen, and with this assassination, I believe there will be an exodus out of Lebanon.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade renewed warnings that Australians who did not leave Lebanon may be stranded in the Middle Eastern nation for an extended period of time amid concerns over the deteriorating security situation.

“Some airlines have postponed or cancelled flights this week, and further cancellations and disruptions could occur with little or no notice,” said a DFAT spokesperson.

“Beirut airport could close and Australians may be unable to leave for an extended period.

“The Government may not be able to assist Australians to leave in such circumstances.”

The ongoing war has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, whose count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.