Top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been reported dead following an early morning raid on his residence in Tehran on Wednesday, according to a statement from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Hamas, the Palestinian organization currently engaged in conflict with Israel in Gaza, has accused Israel of orchestrating the raid. The group claimed that Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed in what they described as a "treacherous Zionist raid."
Haniyeh had been a prominent figure in Hamas's political and military strategy. On Tuesday, he was notably present at the inauguration ceremony of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and met with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His involvement in these high-profile events underscores his influential role in regional politics.
Following the incident, Israel's military spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, commented that the Israeli military was "fully prepared for any scenario" but expressed a preference for resolving hostilities without escalating into a broader conflict. This statement comes amid ongoing tensions and conflict between Israel and Gaza.
In recent months, Haniyeh has been involved in ceasefire negotiations related to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. Earlier in April, Hamas alleged that Israeli airstrikes had resulted in the deaths of three of Haniyeh's sons and four of his grandchildren, further intensifying the conflict.
The timing of Haniyeh's death is significant as it comes shortly after the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed responsibility for killing Fuad Shukr, a senior commander of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Shukr was alleged to be behind a drone strike that resulted in the deaths of 12 children in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Ismail Haniyeh, 62, was born in a refugee camp near Gaza City. He joined Hamas in the late 1980s and quickly became a key figure within the organization, closely associated with its founder and spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. During the 1980s and 1990s, Haniyeh was imprisoned by Israel several times.
Following Hamas's victory in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections, Haniyeh was appointed Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority. However, his tenure was brief, as President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed him in 2007. A decade later, in 2017, Haniyeh was elected head of Hamas's political wing and was subsequently designated a "specially designated global terrorist" by the United States. His leadership and activities have made him a central figure in the ongoing conflict and negotiations involving Hamas and Israel.
Â
