Palestinian group Hamas’ top leader Ismail Haniyeh Photo: Mohamed Azakir/ Reuters
Ismail Haniya, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, was killed on Wednesday in Tehran. Representatives of Hamas and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards told Reuters about this in their separate statements. The Islamist faction confirmed Haniya’s death, saying he was killed in a “sinister Zionist attack on his residence in the Iranian capital.”
Haniyeh attended the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president, Massoud Pezeshkian, on Tuesday. A statement from the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s elite force, said: “Early this morning, the residence of Ismail Haniya in Tehran was fired upon, killing him and one of his bodyguards. The case is under investigation and more information will be announced soon.”
Israeli authorities have not yet commented on the incident, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Hamas: “This is a serious escalation”
News of Haniya’s death came less than 24 hours after Israel claimed the killing of a Hezbollah commander, further complicating the chances of a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
“This killing of Haniya’s brother by the Israeli occupation is a serious escalation aimed at the ill will of Hamas,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said in an interview with Reuters. He added that Hamas will continue its path and expressed confidence in victory.
Moussa Abu Marzouk, a member of Hamas’s political office, called Hania’s killing “a cowardly act that will not go unanswered,” according to France Presse.
Ismail Haniya, who usually resided in Qatar, was the face of the Palestinian group’s international diplomacy during the war that erupted after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. Three of his sons were killed in an Israeli drone strike in Gaza.
Appointed as head of Hamas in 2017, Haniyeh has frequently traveled between Turkey and the Qatari capital Doha, allowing him to avoid travel restrictions from the Gaza Strip and act as a negotiator in ceasefire talks or to maintain contact with Hamas ally Iran.
