The Hebrew newspaper Ha'atz said, on Thursday, that the assassination of the sons of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, is seen by the Palestinians as a revenge operation, and they are not convinced by what the Israeli army said about the operation.

The newspaper says: The assassination of Haniyeh’s sons, in the eyes of the Palestinians, is merely a revenge operation, and that seems true. They were not identified as mysterious figures. The attack against them might indicate a deep intelligence penetration. The assassination only served to strengthen Haniyeh’s power in the Hamas leadership and even within the Palestinian public.

It added: The Israeli army's claims that Haniyeh's sons were on their way to carry out an attack are not accepted by the Palestinians, even those who oppose Hamas, especially since they were accompanied by their sons.

The newspaper believed that the assassination of Haniyeh’s sons would not harm the negotiations of the exchange deal.

It said: Israel may have obtained another temporary revenge, but it moved further away from its goals, most notably the release of the 133 abductees.