No Evidence Israel Tracked Ismail Haniyeh via WhatsApp Spyware to Drone Strike Him

Misbar investigated the viral claim and found it to be fake.

After a thorough investigation, Misbar’s team found no reliable evidence to support the circulating claim.

WhatsApp Is Banned in Iran

Contrary to social media users’ spreading conspiracy theory regarding the assassination of Hamas’s Ismail Haniyeh, Meta’s WhatsApp has not been working in Iran since 2022.

As protests spread over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in Iran, access to Instagram and WhatsApp has been blocked in September 2022. 

According to data from NetBlocks, authorities have responded with a series of internet restrictions, targeting all users registered with an Iranian (+98) phone number across all major network operators.

Conspiracy Theory: “Jewish Billionaire Jan Koum Linked to Haniyeh’s Assassination”

Several users spread the claim that Jan Koum has been involved in Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination in Iran.

The conspiracy spreaders supported their claim by accusing Jan Koum, a Ukrainian-American Jew, of being behind the 'spyware that infiltrated Haniyeh's phone.'

Misbar’s investigation revealed that Jan Koum, one of the founders of WhatsApp, had no further involvement with the company after selling it to Meta in 2014.

According to people familiar with internal discussions, Jan Koum left the company after clashing with its parent, Facebook, over the popular messaging service's strategy and Facebook's attempts to use its personal data and weaken its encryption.

Iran TV: Viral Reports on Haniyeh’s Assassination Are “Inaccurate”

Iranian television stated that reports about the details of the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), were "inaccurate and unofficial allegations."

Iranian TV noted that many reports were published in Iranian and international media regarding the details of Haniyeh's assassination over the past 24 hours, but official Iranian authorities have not released any information or details about the incident. Reliable reports on this matter are only published by official Iranian institutions and bodies.

Earlier, the Iranian Fars News Agency reported that Haniyeh was assassinated by a shell that hit his residence, destroying part of its roof and windows. The agency added that investigations confirmed that Israel planned and executed the assassination.

Meanwhile, the New York Times and the American website Axios published another account, confirming Israel's responsibility for Haniyeh's assassination but claiming it was carried out by an explosive device planted by Mossad agents in his room and detonated remotely.

Ismail Haniyeh’s Funeral

The burial of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh took place in Qatar, with commemorations in Turkey, Lebanon, Yemen, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Thousands of mourners gathered on Friday at Doha’s Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul al-Wahhab Mosque for ritual prayers before Haniyeh was buried in Lusail, north of the Qatari capital. Representatives of other Palestinian factions and the public attended the events, with his family present amid tight security at Qatar’s national mosque.

In Gaza, Hamas called for a “day of furious rage” to protest the assassination and Israel’s deadliest war on Gaza, which has killed almost 40,000 people since October 7. Turkey and Pakistan have announced a day of mourning in honor of the Hamas leader.

On Thursday, the Iranian capital witnessed the funeral of the head of the Hamas political bureau, with official and popular attendance following his assassination at his residence.

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