Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of Hamas, was reportedly killed in Tehran, as announced by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday. However, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Following the assassination, Israel was quickly blamed. This comes after Israel had pledged to target Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders in response to the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and the abduction of approximately 250 others, according to the Associated Press.
Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday. During the ceremony, chants of “Death to America, Israel” were heard.
On Tuesday morning, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei posted on social media that he had met with Haniyeh and Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement.
Details about Haniyeh’s death have not been provided by Iran, and the incident is under investigation.
Analysts on Iranian state television quickly pointed fingers at Israel for the assassination.
Israel has not commented on the incident, maintaining its usual stance of silence regarding operations carried out by their intelligence agency, Mossad.
Middle East analyst Lisa Daftari has noted to Fox News, “The assassination of a high-ranking Hamas leader on Iranian soil, especially right after he attended the inauguration of Iran’s new president, is significant. It underscores Israel’s stance that it makes no distinction between Iran and its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah.”
Daftari added, “Israel has conducted strategic hits against key figures in Iran, including nuclear scientists, as well as targeting weapons depots and critical infrastructure in Iran, Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon. Given the numerous threats Israel faces, it uses its military and intelligence to eliminate direct threats. The assassination of Haniyeh appears to be a result of similar calculations.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the U.S. aims to reduce tensions but will support Israel if it is attacked.
Hamas reported that Haniyeh was killed “in a Zionist airstrike on his residence in Tehran after participating in Iran’s presidential inauguration.”
In a statement, Hamas declared Haniyeh a martyr, emphasizing the sacrifices made for the Palestinian cause.
Haniyeh had left the Gaza Strip five years ago and was living in exile in Qatar. Yehya Sinwar, the top Hamas leader in Gaza, is considered the mastermind behind the October 7 attack on Israel.
An Israeli airstrike in April resulted in the deaths of three of Haniyeh’s sons and four of his grandchildren in Gaza.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 90,000 wounded in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, though these numbers do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.