Iran on Tuesday denounced what it termed Israel's "brazen admission" of having killed former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this year, accusing the country of having carried out a "heinous crime" and defending its missile-strike response.

Since launching its retaliatory war in Gaza, Israel claims to have eliminated the leaders of militant groups including, Sinwar, the mastermind of the 7 October attack on Israel, and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an airstrike on a building complex in Beirut.

Israel's defence minister has admitted that Israel killed Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July. Israel has also vowed to target the heads of the Iran-backed Houthi movement.

On Sept 27, Israel killed Hezbollah leader Nasrallah in a Beirut bombing, which was followed by the killing of Haniyeh's successor Sinwar on Oct 16 in Gaza. Israeli officials said Sinwar masterminded the Oct 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel, which sparked Israel's current military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has admitted responsibility for assassinating Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran last summer. In a speech on Monday, Foreign Minister Israel Katz acknowledged that Israeli forces were behind the killing of Haniyeh, who died in an explosion in Tehran in July.

Defence chief Israel Katz publicly admitted to killing Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July, further risks tensions between Iran and Israel.

Hamas on Monday said the Israel Defense Forces killed or wounded at least 50 people in an air and ground assault on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. ABC News’ Ines de La Cuetara reports.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz admitted on Monday (December 23) 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.