Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran while attending the president's inauguration.
Hamas’s political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, has been assassinated in Tehran, according to a statement from the group that governs Gaza, which accused Israel of carrying out the attack.
Haniyeh and a bodyguard were killed early Wednesday when the building where they were staying was struck, the statement said.
"The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas mourns our leader and martyr, Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran," the statement added.
Israel has yet to confirm or deny involvement in the killing, which occurred while Haniyeh was in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday.
The assassination has sparked widespread anger across Palestine and raised fears of a broader regional conflict amid Israel's ongoing war on Gaza, now in its 10th month. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthi rebels have also been involved in clashes with Israel.
The war has claimed the lives of at least 39,445 Palestinians, with over 91,000 injured. Israel initiated its offensive on Gaza following a Hamas attack on October 7 that killed around 1,139 people and resulted in more than 200 hostages.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed Haniyeh’s death, noting that his residence in Tehran was hit by an "airborne guided projectile" around 2 a.m. local time.
Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, warned that Haniyeh's assassination escalates the conflict to a "new level," promising "enormous consequences" for the region.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the attack, vowing "harsh punishment" for those responsible.
While Israel has not officially commented on the incident, far-right Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu expressed satisfaction with Haniyeh's death on social media.
International reactions included concerns from Qatar and Egypt that the attack could hinder ceasefire negotiations and prisoner exchange efforts.
Haniyeh, who had left Gaza in 2019 and was residing in Qatar, was seen as a pragmatic leader and had been leading ceasefire talks. His assassination is expected to escalate tensions further, with fears of more widespread conflict following Israel's recent strike on a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut.
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