The whereabouts, timing, and mode of Ismail Haniyeh’s death as the political leader of Hamas are becoming clearer.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard announced early on Wednesday morning, July 31, that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh had been slain in Tehran. Hamas has blamed Israel for the attack.
Following Hamas’ October 7 raid on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1200 people and the kidnapping of another 250 more, Israel had pledged to murder Haniyeh and other Hamas officials.
Israel has declined to comment on the accusations and has a history of being silent about assassinations conducted by its spy service, Mossad.
Haniyeh was assassinated “in a Zionist airstrike on his residence in Tehran after he participated in the inauguration of Iran’s new president,” according to a statement released by Hamas.
The statement reads “Hamas declares to the great Palestinian people and the people of the Arab and Islamic nations and all the free people of the world, brother leader Ismail Ismail Haniyeh a martyr.”
Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, reported on Wednesday afternoon that Haniyeh had been attacked in Tehran, the country’s capital, with the use of a “airborne guided projectile.” Around two in the morning local time, the attack happened.
Haniyeh was in Iran for the inauguration of the Iranian president and was lodging in a veteran’s home in north Tehran, according to state-affiliated news agency Fars.
According to IRNA, more enquiries were being conducted to find out the specifics of the operation and the location from which the missile was shot.
Iran has pledged to retaliate against Israel, thus the attack on the leader of Hamas could turn into a full-scale conflict in the Middle East.
