Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas, and one of his bodyguards were killed after their residence in Tehran was targeted, the Palestinian group announced today. Haniyeh was in the Iranian capital for the swearing-in of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Hamas described the incident as “a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran” that occurred on Tuesday morning. An investigation is underway to uncover more details about the attack.
“Brother, leader, mujahid Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the movement, died in a Zionist strike on his headquarters in Tehran after he participated in the inauguration of the new (Iranian) president,” the group’s statement read.
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A senior Hamas official, Musa Abu Marzuk, condemned the assassination, stating, “The assassination of leader Ismail Haniyeh is a cowardly act and will not go unanswered.” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed Haniyeh’s death, noting that his residence in Tehran was “hit” and he was killed along with a bodyguard.
The Israeli army has not yet responded to the incident. However, Israel had previously vowed to target Ismail Haniyeh and destroy the Hamas group following the October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians.
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Ismail Haniyeh was elected head of the Hamas political bureau in 2017, succeeding Khaled Meshaal. Known as a pragmatist, Haniyeh lived in exile, dividing his time between Turkey and Qatar. During the ongoing conflict, he had travelled on diplomatic missions to Iran and Turkey, meeting with both the Turkish and Iranian presidents.
Ismail Haniyeh joined Hamas in 1987, during the first Palestinian intifada against Israeli occupation, which lasted until 1993. He was said to have maintained good relations with leaders of various Palestinian factions, including those rivalling Hamas.
The assassination marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, with potential ramifications for regional stability and future peace efforts.
