Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was reportedly assassinated in Tehran, according to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard early Wednesday. Hamas has pointed the finger at Israel for the attack.
Israel had vowed to eliminate Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders following the group’s Oct. 7 assault on Israel, resulting in 1,200 casualties and around 250 hostages being taken.
An Israeli military spokesperson did not immediately respond to inquiries. Israel typically remains silent regarding assassinations carried out by their Mossad intelligence agency.
Hamas stated that Haniyeh was killed in a “Zionist airstrike on his residence in Tehran after participating in Iran’s new president’s inauguration.”
“Hamas declares the late Ismail Haniyeh a martyr to the Palestinian people, Arab and Islamic nations, and all supporters of freedom,” the statement read.
In a different statement, Haniyeh was quoted as saying that the Palestinian cause involves sacrifices and that they are prepared to pay the price, even if it means martyrdom for the sake of Palestine and God Almighty.
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Hamas officials did not provide additional comments immediately.
Haniyeh had left Gaza in 2019 and was residing in Qatar. The leadership of Hamas in Gaza is now with Yehya Sinwar, who orchestrated the Oct. 7 attack.
Earlier in April, an Israeli airstrike in Gaza resulted in the deaths of three of Haniyeh’s sons and four grandchildren.
During an interview with Al Jazeera, Haniyeh emphasized that the killings would not coerce Hamas into softening its stance during ongoing cease-fire negotiations with Israel.
Haniyeh had visited Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, alongside other Hamas and Hezbollah officials. No details on Haniyeh’s demise were provided by Iran, and the Revolutionary Guard stated that the incident is currently being investigated.
Iranian state television analysts promptly pointed fingers at Israel for the attack.
The killing of Haniyeh follows Israel’s rare strike on Beirut that claimed the life of a top Hezbollah military commander, Fouad Shukur. Hezbollah has not officially confirmed Shukur’s death. The strike resulted in civilian casualties as well.
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The apparent assassination comes at a critical juncture as the Biden administration aims to broker a temporary cease-fire and hostage-release deal between Hamas and Israel.
CIA Director Bill Burns had been in Rome meeting with Israeli, Qatari, and Egyptian officials, while Brett McGurk, the White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, is engaging in talks with U.S. partners in the region.
Israel is suspected of conducting a long-standing campaign targeting Iranian nuclear scientists and affiliated individuals. In 2020, Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated near Tehran.
In Israel’s conflict with Hamas since the October attack, more than 39,360 Palestinians have been killed, with over 90,900 wounded, as reported by the Gaza Health Ministry, without distinguishing between civilians and combatants.
