In a stunning development that could reshape the 9-month war in Gaza, Hamas confirmed this morning (Wednesday) that the chief political leader of the terrorist organization, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in the heart of Tehran, accusing Israel of the attack.
According to Arab reports, Haniyeh was killed alongside his Iranian bodyguard in an aerial drone strike, sending shockwaves through the region and beyond.
Haniyeh had traveled to attend the inauguration of Iran's newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, who replaced Ebrahim Ra'isi who died in a helicopter crash several weeks ago.
This was Hamas chief Haniyeh's reaction to the Hamas massacre on October 7.
He's not celebrating anymore. ? pic.twitter.com/xYsPsSNHZ3
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) July 31, 2024
Details surrounding the assassination remain shrouded in mystery. As of now, no footage or documentation of the incident has emerged, leaving many questions unanswered about the circumstances.
The assassination of Haniyeh, who was also the terrorist group's prime minister when he lived in the Gaza Strip about a decade ago, comes fewer than 24 hours after the assassination of Hezbollah's de facto military chief Fuad Shukri in Beirut. But unlike the Tehran killing, Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh's elimination.
In an official statement, Hamas said, "The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) mourns to our Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nation." The statement noted that Haniyeh was killed in an airstrike on his residence in Tehran following his participation in the inauguration ceremony of Iran's new president, which took place the previous day.
Saudi media, citing unnamed sources, reported that Haniyeh was killed in his bedroom by a precision-guided missile at 2 a.m. local time in Tehran. Musa Abu Marzouk, deputy chief of Hamas's political bureau, denounced the assassination as a "cowardly act."
Haniyeh, one of Hamas's most recognizable and influential figures, began his career as an aide to the organization's founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. He steadily rose through the ranks of the political bureau, eventually becoming the head of the bureau in Gaza and later the overall chief. In these roles, he was responsible for shaping the organization's strategy and spearheading fundraising efforts.
Just a day before his death, Haniyeh was seen in Tehran alongside Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhaleh. The event they attended also included other key figures aligned with Iran, such as Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem, a representative of the Houthis, and notably, Ismail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
During the recent conflict, several of Haniyeh's sons were killed in strikes on the Gaza Strip. Haniyeh himself had been seen celebrating the October 7 attack on the day it occurred, along with other senior officials of the organization who were in Turkey at the time.
