Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated early Wednesday morning in Iran, the Palestinian group Hamas announced, calling the attack a “severe escalation” that would not achieve its intended goals.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed Haniyeh’s death, which occurred just hours after he attended the swearing-in ceremony for the country’s new president. They stated that an investigation is underway.
Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, also confirmed Haniyeh’s killing and reported that one of his bodyguards was also killed at their residence in the Iranian capital early Wednesday.
There has been no immediate comment from Israeli authorities.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Haniyeh’s assassination.
This news comes less than 24 hours after Israel claimed to have killed the Hezbollah commander responsible for a deadly strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which may hinder any imminent ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
“This assassination by the Israeli occupation of Brother Haniyeh is a grave escalation aimed at breaking the will of Hamas,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters, adding that Hamas would continue its current path and expressing confidence in victory.
Haniyeh, typically based in Qatar, has been the face of the Palestinian group’s international diplomacy. The conflict initiated by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7 has continued to rage in Gaza, where three of Haniyeh’s sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Appointed as the Hamas leader in 2017, Haniyeh has traveled between Turkey and Qatar’s capital, Doha, bypassing the travel restrictions of the blockaded Gaza Strip. This mobility allowed him to act as a negotiator in ceasefire talks and to maintain connections with Hamas’ ally, Iran.
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