The Palestinian militant group Hamas announced the death of its top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in a statement released today. The group accused Israel of orchestrating a “treacherous Zionist raid” that resulted in Haniyeh’s demise in the Iranian capital of Tehran.
Haniyeh, who had been leading negotiations on a new ceasefire and hostage release deal, was in Iran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, when the missile attack occurred on July 31, 2024.
The incident has sparked international condemnation, with Turkey and Russia leading the charge in denouncing the assassination as an unacceptable political murder.
The Israeli government has not yet formally responded to the accusations surrounding Haniyeh’s death.
The killing of Haniyeh comes just hours after Israel claimed responsibility for the death of a top commander of the Lebanese militant group, Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah, in an airstrike in Beirut.
The assassination has plunged the region into a state of heightened uncertainty, with fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East escalating rapidly. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed a “harsh punishment” for the killing of Haniyeh, further exacerbating tensions between the two nations.