In the early hours of the morning, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran, as confirmed by the Palestinian resistance group on Wednesday. This incident has heightened fears of further escalation in a region already destabilized by Israel’s assault on Gaza and the escalating conflict in Lebanon.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards verified Haniyeh’s death shortly after he attended a swearing-in ceremony for Iran’s new president and announced an investigation into the incident.
Israel has not yet commented on the assassination. The Israeli military stated it was conducting a situational assessment but has not issued any new security guidelines for civilians.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin assured that Washington would strive to ease tensions and emphasized that the United States would assist in defending Israel if it were attacked.
The assassination, occurring less than 24 hours after Israel claimed to have killed a Hezbollah commander responsible for a deadly strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, seems to undermine prospects for an imminent ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, described the assassination as a severe escalation aimed at breaking the will of Hamas. He asserted that Hamas would persist on its current path, expressing confidence in eventual victory.
A source familiar with the matter indicated that Iran’s top security body is expected to convene to determine Iran’s strategy in response to Haniyeh’s death, given his close ties to Tehran.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the assassination, and Palestinian factions in the occupied West Bank have called for a general strike and mass demonstrations.
Haniyeh, typically based in Qatar, had been a key figure in the Palestinian group’s international diplomacy. The ongoing war, ignited by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, has resulted in the deaths of three of Haniyeh’s sons in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.
The International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant for Haniyeh over alleged war crimes, simultaneously requesting a similar warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Since being appointed to the top position in Hamas in 2017, Haniyeh had traveled between Turkey and Qatar’s capital, Doha, evading the travel restrictions imposed by the Gaza blockade. This mobility allowed him to act as a negotiator in ceasefire talks and maintain connections with Hamas’ ally, Iran.
Haniyeh’s assassination coincides with Israel’s campaign in Gaza nearing the end of its tenth month, with no resolution in sight. The conflict continues to destabilize the Middle East and risks expanding into a broader regional war.
Despite significant domestic and international pressure for a ceasefire, including from families of Israeli hostages in Gaza and diplomatic efforts by Egypt and Qatar, negotiations appear stalled.
The risk of war between Israel and Hezbollah has increased following a deadly strike in the Golan Heights that killed 12 children in a Druze village and the subsequent killing of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.
