Top Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Assassinated in Iran
Hamas announced that its leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in a raid by Israel at his residence in Tehran.
The group, which controls Gaza, described Haniyeh’s death as a result of a “treacherous Zionist raid”.
Israel has not yet made any comments or statements regarding the incident.
Hamas mentioned that Haniyeh had recently attended the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Tuesday.
“The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas mourns for our great Palestinian people, the Arab and Islamic nations, and all the free people of the world,” the statement read.
Many Hamas leaders maintain a low profile, with some spending much of their lives avoiding Israeli assassination attempts.
Who was Ismail Haniyeh?
Ismail Haniyeh was widely recognized as the overall leader of Hamas, actively involved with the movement since 1980.
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He served briefly as Palestinian prime minister in 2006 but was dismissed a year later after Hamas expelled the rival Fatah Party from Gaza following a week of violent conflict.
In 2017, he was elected head of Hamas’s political bureau, and in 2018, the US Department of State labeled him a terrorist.
He had been living in Qatar for several years.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran expressed condolences after Haniyeh died in Tehran.
In a statement via its media outlet Sepah News, the IRGC indicated they are investigating “the cause and dimensions of the incident” and will provide updates later.
The statement also mentioned that Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were “martyred”.
The IRGC is a significant military, political, and economic entity in Iran, closely allied with the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Top Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Assassinated in Iran
