Hamas claims that its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was slain in Iran.
Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas, was slain in Iran early on Wednesday, the Palestinian militant group announced, raising concerns about a further escalation in a region already unsettled by Israel’s war in Gaza and a deepening crisis in Lebanon.
The Revolutionary Guards of Iran announced that a probe was in progress and verified Haniyeh’s death just hours after he had attended the inauguration of the country’s new president.
Israel refrained from commenting right away. The Israeli military did not provide any new security directives for civilians, but it did state that it was performing a situational assessment.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that while Washington would strive to reduce tensions, it would also support Israel’s defense should it come under assault.
Given that the declaration was made less than twenty-four hours after Israel stated it had assassinated the Hezbollah leader it claimed was responsible for a lethal strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, it appears to have damaged the possibilities of an imminent truce in Gaza.
Reuters was informed that “this assassination by the Israeli occupation of Brother Haniyeh is a grave escalation that aims to break the will of Hamas,” according to senior Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri.
Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian organization in control of Gaza, would carry on along its current course, he declared, adding, “We are confident of victory.”
According to a person with knowledge of the meeting, Iran’s top security body is scheduled to convene to determine Iran’s response to the passing of close ally Haniyeh.
Palestinian factions in the occupied West Bank called for a general strike and large-scale protests, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced Haniyeh’s death.
Normally headquartered in Qatar, Haniyeh has served as the spokesperson for the Palestinian group’s foreign diplomacy while the conflict that erupted in Gaza after three of his sons were murdered by an Israeli airstrike on October 7 was led by Hamas.
Simultaneously, the prosecutor’s office of the International Criminal Court filed a request for an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes.
Since being appointed to the senior position in Hamas in 2017, Haniyeh has traveled back and forth between Turkey and Doha, the capital of Qatar, to avoid the travel restrictions imposed on the blockaded Gaza Strip. This has allowed him to engage in negotiations for a ceasefire or to speak with Hamas’ partner, Iran.
Haniyeh’s assassination occurs as Israel’s assault in Gaza enters its tenth month, and there is still no indication that it will finish. The fighting has rocked the Middle East and raised fears that it could turn into a larger regional confrontation.
The negotiations mediated by Egypt and Qatar seem to have failed, despite growing international pressure for a ceasefire and resentment towards Netanyau’s government from the relatives of the Israeli captives who are still being held in Gaza.
Meanwhile, after the attack in the Golan Heights on Saturday that murdered 12 children in a Druze village and the subsequent assassination of top Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr, the likelihood of a confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah has increased.
On October 7, fighters commanded by Hamas burst through security barriers surrounding Gaza and launched a deadly onslaught on Israeli communities nearby, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 prisoners into Gaza. This marked the beginning of the conflict.
In retaliation, Israel initiated a ceaseless air and military assault in the densely populated coastal enclave, resulting in over 39,000 fatalities and a dire humanitarian situation for over 2 million people.
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Parisa Hafezi reported from Dubai, with additional reporting from Ahmed Tolba and Enas Alashray in Cairo. James Mackenzie wrote the article, which Stephen Coates and Michael Perry edited.
