Media reports indicate that Ismail Haniyeh was killed by an “airborne guided projectile” that hit a military veterans’ residence in Tehran.
Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of Hamas, has been assassinated in Tehran, Iran, according to a statement from the Gaza governing group, which attributed the killing to Israel.
Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed when their building was struck. Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday.
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“Hamas mourns the loss of our leader and martyr Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in a Zionist attack on his residence in Tehran,” the group stated.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran also confirmed Haniyeh’s death.
“Early this morning, Ismail Haniyeh’s residence in Tehran was attacked, resulting in his and a bodyguard’s martyrdom. The incident is under investigation,” the IRGC announced.
Media reports indicate that Haniyeh was killed by an “airborne guided projectile” that hit a military veterans’ residence in northern Tehran around 2 am local time.
Israel has not officially commented on Ismail Haniyeh’s death, though media reports suggest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office instructed ministers not to speak on the matter. Nonetheless, far-right Heritage Minister Amihai Elihayu praised the killing on social media, stating that it “makes the world a little better.”
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This assassination occurs amidst Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, initiated after a Hamas attack on October 7 that resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and over 200 kidnappings. In response, Israel has caused at least 39,400 Palestinian deaths and 90,996 injuries in Gaza.
Since 2019, Haniyeh had been residing in Qatar after leaving the Gaza Strip. Yahya Sinwar remains the top Hamas leader in Gaza.