Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in Iran, stoking fears of wider Middle East war
▪︎ Hamas says leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in Tehran
▪︎ Israel has not yet commented on Haniyeh’s death
▪︎ Assassination raises fears of wider escalation
▪︎ US defense secretary says wider war not ‘inevitable’
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated early on Wednesday morning in Iran, the Palestinian militant group and Tehran said, drawing threats of revenge on Israel in a region already shaken by the war in Gaza and a deepening conflict in Lebanon.
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.
Haniyeh, normally based in Qatar, has been the face of Hamas’s international diplomacy as the war set off by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7 has raged in Gaza.
Hamas’ armed wing said in a statement Haniyeh’s killing would “take the battle to new dimensions and have major repercussions”, while Iran also vowed to retaliate.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Israel had provided the grounds for “harsh punishment for itself” and it was Tehran’s duty to avenge the Hamas leader’s death as it had occurred in the Iranian capital.
Iranian forces had already made strikes directly on Israel earlier in the Gaza war.
There was no comment nor claim of responsibilty from Israel. The Israeli military said it was assessing the situation but had not issued any new security guidelines for civilians.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to meet for consultations with security officials at 4 p.m. (1300 GMT).U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington would work to try to ease tensions but said the United States would help defend Israel if it were attacked.
“I don’t think war is inevitable. I maintain that. I think there’s always room and opportunities for diplomacy,” he told reporters during a visit to the Philippines.
The assassination, which took place less than 24 hours after Israel claimed to have killed the Hezbollah commander it said was behind a deadly strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, appears to set back chances of any imminent ceasefire agreement in the 10-month-old war Gaza.
“This assassination by the Israeli occupation of Brother Haniyeh is a grave escalation that aims to break the will of Hamas,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
He said Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that ruled Gaza prior to the Israeli assault, would continue the path it was following.”We are confident of victory,” he said.
