Hamas Political Leader Killed In Fresh Israel Strike

Hamas has announced that its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in a recent Israeli airstrike in Iran, where he was present for the inauguration of the new president of the country.

Naija News reports that Haniyeh’s death followed an Israeli operation on Tuesday that targeted a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut, resulting in the death of a high-ranking commander from the Iran-supported group, which Israel attributed to a recent rocket attack on the Golan Heights, an area annexed by Israel.

“Brother, leader, mujahid Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the movement, died in a Zionist strike on his headquarters in Tehran after he participated in the inauguration of the new (Iranian) president,” the Palestinian militant group confirmed in a statement released on Wednesday morning.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also confirmed the development stating that Haniyeh’s residence in Tehran was “hit”, and he was killed along with a bodyguard.

“The residence of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political office of Hamas Islamic Resistance, was hit in Tehran, and as a result of this incident, he and one of his bodyguards were martyred,” said a statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s Sepah news website.

The Guards mentioned that the cause of the incident is currently under investigation and not yet determined.

Haniyeh visited Tehran to participate in the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday.

The Israeli army chose not to respond to reports from international media outlets.

Netanyahu Threatens To Destroy Hamas

Naija News recalls that Israeli Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, has recently expressed determination to eliminate Hamas and ensure the safe return of all hostages taken during the October 7 attack, which triggered the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The assault carried out by Hamas in southern Israel resulted in the tragic loss of 1,197 lives, predominantly civilians, as reported by an AFP count based on official Israeli data.

Additionally, militants abducted 251 individuals, with 111 still being held captive in Gaza, including 39 who are believed to have lost their lives, according to military reports.

Israel’s retaliatory military operations in Gaza have led to the deaths of at least 39,400 individuals, as stated by the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled region, without specifying the breakdown between civilian and militant casualties.

Tensions in the region have escalated significantly since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October, drawing in Iran-backed militant groups from Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.

Haniyeh

Haniyeh assumed leadership of the Hamas political bureau in 2017, succeeding Khaled Meshaal.

Having previously served as the Palestinian prime minister in 2006 following Hamas’ unexpected victory in that year’s parliamentary elections, Haniyeh is regarded as a pragmatic leader.

While living in exile and dividing his time between Turkey and Qatar, Haniyeh engaged in diplomatic visits to Iran and Turkey during the conflict, meeting with the respective presidents of both nations.

It is reported that Haniyeh maintains positive relationships with leaders of various Palestinian factions, even those who are considered rivals to Hamas.