Ismail Haniyeh, the top political leader of Hamas, was killed in a targeted attack on his residence in Iran. The Palestinian group announced that Haniyeh, who lived in exile, died following what they described as a “treacherous Zionist” assault.
Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk condemned the assassination as a “cowardly act that will not go unpunished,” according to a statement on Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV.
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed Haniyeh’s death. He had attended the swearing-in ceremony for Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, just hours before the attack.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said, “Haniyeh’s martyrdom in Tehran will strengthen the deep and unbreakable bond between Tehran, Palestine, and the resistance.”
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This incident marks the second high-profile assassination attributed to Israel within hours. A strike in Beirut also killed a senior Hezbollah commander, increasing fears of escalating conflict in the region.
Israel did not immediately comment on Haniyeh’s death and typically neither confirms nor denies involvement in assassinations on foreign soil.
However, Israel’s Minister of Heritage, Amichay Eliyahu, praised the assassination, stating it “makes the world a little better.”
In a post on social media platform X, Eliyahu added, “No mercy for these mortals.”
Haniyeh’s death has heightened tensions in an already volatile region, with potential implications for the broader geopolitical landscape.