Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Assassinated in Iran, Palestinian Group Confirms
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated early Wednesday morning in Iran, according to a statement by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. This development has heightened fears of further escalation in a region already destabilized by Israel’s offensive in Gaza and the ongoing conflict in Lebanon.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed Haniyeh’s death, stating that he was killed hours after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president. The Guards announced they were investigating the incident.
Iran’s state-owned news agency, IRNA, also confirmed the assassination, noting that one of Haniyeh’s bodyguards was killed alongside him in their residence in Tehran early on Wednesday.
There has been no immediate response from Israel regarding the assassination. The Israeli military stated it was conducting a situational assessment but had not issued new security guidelines for civilians.
The news comes less than a day after Israel claimed responsibility for killing a Hezbollah commander involved in a deadly strike in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights, further diminishing hopes for an imminent ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
“This assassination by the Israeli occupation of Brother Haniyeh is a grave escalation that aims to break the will of Hamas,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters. “We confirm that this escalation will fail to achieve its objectives. Hamas is a concept and an institution, not just individuals,” he added. Zuhri vowed that Hamas would continue its path and expressed confidence in their eventual victory.
A source familiar with the situation indicated that Iran’s top security body is expected to convene to decide on a strategy in response to Haniyeh’s death, given his close alliance with Tehran.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington would work to ease tensions but reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to defend Israel if attacked.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Haniyeh’s killing, and factions in the occupied West Bank called for a general strike and mass demonstrations.
Mohsen Rezaie, a former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, warned that Israel would “pay a heavy price” for the assassination, as reported by Iranian state media.
Haniyeh, typically based in Qatar, has been a prominent figure in Hamas’s international diplomacy efforts, especially during the conflict sparked by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7. This attack killed 1,200 people and resulted in approximately 250 hostages taken to Gaza. Three of Haniyeh’s sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.
At the same time, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor’s office issued an arrest warrant for Haniyeh over alleged war crimes, along with a similar request against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Appointed as Hamas’s top leader in 2017, Haniyeh has resided in Turkey and Qatar’s capital, Doha, to evade travel restrictions imposed by the blockade of Gaza, allowing him to negotiate ceasefires and liaise with Hamas’s ally, Iran.
Haniyeh’s assassination coincides with Israel’s campaign in Gaza nearing its 10th month, with no resolution in sight. The conflict has resulted in over 39,000 deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis affecting more than two million people.
Despite mounting international pressure for a ceasefire and anger from families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, talks mediated by Egypt and Qatar have faltered.
The risk of a broader conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified, especially after the killing of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, which followed a strike in the Golan Heights that killed 12 children in a Druze village.
International reactions to Haniyeh’s assassination have been swift. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed deep sadness over Haniyeh’s death, calling him a symbol of Palestinian resistance. The Turkish foreign ministry also offered condolences to the Palestinian people, criticizing the Israeli government and warning of the potential for the conflict to escalate to a regional level.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov condemned the assassination as an unacceptable political murder, predicting further escalation of tensions.
Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, head of Yemen’s Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee, denounced the killing as a heinous terrorist crime and a violation of moral values.
Areepen Uttarasin, a veteran Thai politician and former Gaza hostage negotiator, highlighted the gravity of the assassination occurring in Iran, indicating that Hamas’s adversaries could strike anywhere. He warned that negotiations and de-escalation efforts would become more challenging, leading to increased violence and a worsening situation.
The conflict, which began on October 7, has led to relentless Israeli ground and air offensives in Gaza, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis and deepening the region’s instability. International condemnation and calls for a ceasefire continue to pour in, with many countries warning of the major impact Haniyeh’s assassination will have on peace efforts in Gaza.
