The political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran, Iran, according to a statement from the organization that governs the besieged and blasted Gaza Strip, which held Israel accountable for his death.
According to the statement, Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were slain in the early hours of Wednesday following an explosion at the building where they were living.
“The leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Mujahid Ismail Haniyeh, was a brother, leader, and martyr who was killed in a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran. We mourn with our great Palestinian people, the Arab and Islamic nation, and all the free people of the world,” the statement continued.
Involvement of Israel in the assassination
Israel has not officially acknowledged or refuted its role in Haniyeh’s death. Haniyeh was in Tehran on Tuesday for Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian’s inauguration.
But in the context of Israel’s now ten-month-long war on Gaza, the assassination’s news incited anger throughout Palestine and heightened concerns about a broader regional conflict. While Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been attacking Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea and other waters, Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran, have been engaging in gunfire across their border.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is in its tenth month, has resulted in at least 39,445 deaths and over 91,000 injuries. After Hamas launched an offensive in southern Israel on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of about 1,139 people and the kidnapping of over 200 more, Israel started attacking Gaza with the promise to destroy the organization and assassinate its leaders. capturing more than two hundred more people.
Haniyeh’s passing was also declared by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran.
How the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh’s took place
Ismail Haniyeh’s house in Tehran was attacked early this morning, leading to the martyrdom of both him and one of his bodyguards. In a statement, the IRGC stated that the attack was being looked into and that the cause would be revealed soon.
The Hamas commander was murdered, according to media reports, at around 2 a.m. (22:30 GMT on Tuesday), when an “airborne guided projectile” struck the special housing for military veterans in Tehran’s north where he was living.
On June, 10 of Ismail Haniyeh’s family members were also killed including his grandchildren in an air strike.
The Qassam Brigades, the military branch of Hamas, warned of “enormous consequences for the entire region” and said that Haniyeh’s death brings the conflict with Israel to “new levels.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader’s reaction
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, made a vow of “harsh punishment” in the interim.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Khamenei stated that “the criminal and terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our house and made us bereaved” and that “it also prepared the ground for a harsh punishment for itself.”
A red flag over the Jamkaran Mosque was also seen, which is a symbol of revenge. The inscription of the red flag reads “O ye avengers of Hussein,”. This flag is usually raised in the month of Muharram which is considered the month of mourning for the Muslims.
Israeli minister’s statement
Regarding Haniyeh’s passing, Israel said nothing. According to the local media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office had instructed cabinet ministers to remain silent. On social networking platform X, however, far-right Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu praised the death of the Hamas commander.
He wrote in Hebrew that the killing “makes the world a little better.”
In response to Haniyeh’s passing, other nations expressed concern that the strike may thwart efforts to broker a cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement. Mediators Qatar and Egypt indicated as much.
In 2019, Haniyeh moved out of the Gaza Strip to live in Qatar. Yahya Sinwar is the foremost Hamas figure in Gaza.