Hamas has announced that its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an airstrike in Tehran, Iran, early Wednesday. They blame Israel for the assassination, which could worsen the ongoing regional conflict.
According to Hamas, the airstrike occurred shortly after Haniyeh attended the inauguration of Iran’s new president. Israel has not yet responded to the claim. The country has previously promised to target Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders in retaliation for the October 7 attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages.
The assassination could lead to retaliation from Iran or its ally Hezbollah, and might cause Hamas to withdraw from current cease-fire talks. Earlier, Israel had conducted a strike in Beirut, killing a top Hezbollah commander believed to be responsible for a rocket attack in the Golan Heights that killed 12 people.
The U.S. and other nations were already working to prevent the situation in the Golan Heights from escalating into full-scale war when news of Haniyeh’s death broke. The White House has not yet commented on the killing.
An Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment, as Israel often does not discuss its operations. Hamas has declared Haniyeh a martyr and accused Israel of carrying out the attack on his residence in Tehran.
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