Hamas’s top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, has been killed in Iran.
The Palestinian group announced that Haniyeh, who lived in exile, died following a “treacherous Zionist” attack on his residence.
Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV quoted senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk calling the assassination a “cowardly act that will not go unpunished.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed Haniyeh’s death, which occurred hours after he attended the swearing-in ceremony of the country’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani stated, “Haniyeh’s martyrdom in Tehran will strengthen the deep and unbreakable bond between Tehran, Palestine, and the resistance.”
This incident marks the second high-profile assassination attributed to Israel within hours, following a strike in Beirut that killed a senior Hezbollah commander. These events have heightened fears of escalating regional conflict.
Israel has not commented on Haniyeh’s death, maintaining its typical policy of neither confirming nor denying involvement in assassinations on foreign soil. However, Israel’s Minister of Heritage, Amichay Eliyahu, praised the killing, stating it “makes the world a little better” and posted on X, “No mercy for these mortals.”