In a shocking development, Hamas has announced that its chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in a “treacherous Zionist raid” at his residence in Tehran, Iran. The incident occurred Tuesday morning, shortly after Haniyeh had attended the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
According to a statement released by Hamas, Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards lost their lives in the attack. The Palestinian group has initiated an investigation to uncover more details about the strike.
Musa Abu Marzuk, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, declared that the assassination “will not go unanswered,” characterizing it as a “cowardly act.” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have confirmed Haniyeh’s death, stating that his residence in Tehran was “hit.”
The Israeli army has not yet responded to inquiries about Haniyeh’s killing. Israel had previously vowed to eliminate Haniyeh and dismantle Hamas following the October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, predominantly civilians.
Haniyeh, who became the head of Hamas’ political bureau in 2017, was known for his pragmatic approach and had been living in exile, dividing his time between Turkey and Qatar. During the ongoing conflict, he had engaged in diplomatic missions, meeting with Turkish and Iranian presidents.
This assassination marks a significant escalation in the conflict that has seen at least 39,400 Palestinian casualties in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.