Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran early on Wednesday, the Palestinian terror group said, drawing fears of wider escalation in a region shaken by Israel’s war in Gaza and a worsening conflict in Lebanon.According to the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese al-Mayadeen website, the Hamas Chief was killed in a missile strike launched from outside Iran’s borders. His bodyguard died along with him.
Israel has sought to show it can get anyone, anywhere. It has assassinated or attempted to kill leaders of Hamas and key operatives since the group was founded in 1987 during the first Palestinian uprising against the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Two years later, Hamas carried out its first attacks on Israeli military targets, including the kidnap and killing of two Israeli soldiers.
Haniyeh was assassinated in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Iran, the Palestinian terror group said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed the death of Haniyeh, hours after he attended a swearing-in ceremony for the country’s new president, and said it was investigating.
Iranian media reported that he was staying at ‘a special residence for war veterans in north Tehran’. Iran’s NourNews said Haniyeh’s residence was hit by an airborne projectile. With the death of Haniyeh, the ceasefire negotiations can definitely not progress any further. All hopes of an early end to the Gaza war can be put on hold. There is also a likelihood of the war spreading to Lebanon. Iran faces a major embarrassment.
Team BharatShakti
(With inputs from Reuters)
