In a significant escalation of regional tensions, Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of Hamas, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his headquarters in Tehran. The strike occurred after Haniyeh attended the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas confirmed Haniyeh’s death in a statement, calling him a “brother, leader, mujahid.” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also announced the death, stating that Haniyeh’s residence in Tehran was “hit” and he was killed along with one of his bodyguards. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s Sepah news website mentioned that the cause of the incident was under investigation.
This event followed a separate Israeli operation on Tuesday, targeting a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut. This operation resulted in the death of a senior commander responsible for a weekend rocket attack on the Israel-annexed Golan Heights.
Haniyeh, a prominent figure in Palestinian politics, had been elected head of Hamas’s political bureau in 2017, succeeding Khaled Meshaal. He became Palestinian prime minister in 2006 after Hamas’s victory in the parliamentary election. Known for his diplomatic engagements, Haniyeh maintained strong ties with various Palestinian factions and frequently traveled between Turkey and Qatar.
The killing of Haniyeh marks a critical moment in the ongoing conflict, which has seen increasing involvement from Iran-backed groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October. Hamas, part of the “axis of resistance” aligned with Tehran, has been a significant actor in the region’s hostilities against Israel.
The Israeli army has declined to comment on the reports. The situation remains fluid as investigations and responses from various regional actors continue to unfold.
