Top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed in an Israeli airstrike on his headquarters in Tehran on Wednesday, according to a statement by Hamas. The attack targeted Haniyeh, the political bureau chief of Hamas, following his participation in the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Mazoud Pezeshkian, on Tuesday.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the strike, stating that Haniyeh’s residence in Tehran was hit, resulting in his death and that of his bodyguard. The IRGC’s Sepah news website offered condolences to the people of Palestine, the Muslim world, and fighters of the Resistance Front over Haniyeh’s death.
Haniyeh’s death marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and militant groups in the region. A senior Hamas official described the attack as a “grave escalation” and a failed attempt to break the will of Hamas and the Palestinian people. The official emphasized that Hamas would continue its path “regardless of sacrifices” and remains “confident of victory.”
The attack occurs amid rising tensions between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. On Tuesday, Hezbollah launched a rocket attack on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, prompting Israel to retaliate with strikes on Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Beirut, killing commander Fuad Shukr.
Haniyeh, a prominent figure in Hamas, was appointed as the political wing chief in 2017 and was previously elected as the Palestinian prime minister in 2006. Living in exile and frequently moving between Turkey and Doha, he played a crucial role in negotiating ceasefires and maintaining relations with Hamas ally Iran.
The Israeli military campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in over 35,000 deaths, claimed the lives of Haniyeh’s three sons and four grandchildren in an airstrike on April 10. Despite the personal losses, Haniyeh continued diplomatic missions to Iran and Turkey, maintaining strong ties with various Palestinian factions and leaders.
Haniyeh joined Hamas in 1987, during the first Palestinian intifada against Israeli occupation. He was instrumental in building Hamas’s fighting capacity, partly through fostering ties with Shi’ite Muslim Iran. Known as the diplomatic front of Hamas, Haniyeh led the group’s political battles on the international stage.
Hamas and other regional actors have condemned the assassination, calling it a “heinous terrorist crime” and a violation of international laws. The situation remains tense as investigations into the attack continue, and the potential for further escalations looms.
