H amas political leader Ismail Haniyeh has been killed in Tehran, Iranian state media reported on Wednesday, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) —an elite wing of the Iranian military.
In a separate statement, Hamas said Haniyeh was killed alongside his bodyguard in what it said was an Israeli raid on his residence after he participated in the inauguration of the Iranian president.
It is not clear when Haniyeh was killed.
Who Was Hamas Political Leader Ismail Haniyeh?
Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran, according to Hamas and Iranian media, was a longtime political leader of the militant group.
The 62-year-old was born in a refugee camp near Gaza City and joined Hamas in the late 1980s during the First Intifada, or uprising.
As Hamas grew in power, Haniyeh rose through the ranks – being appointed part of a secret “collective leadership” in 2004, then being named the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority in 2006.
By 2017 he had become chief of the group — and was named a “specially designated global terrorist” by the United States soon after.
Over the years, he participated in peace talks with former US President Jimmy Carter, and met with other world leaders including the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, and Chinese diplomat Wang Kejian earlier this year.
In April, Israeli airstrikes killed three of Haniyeh’s sons and four of his grandchildren, according to Hamas.
At the time, Haniyeh – who was based in Qatar – insisted their deaths would not affect ongoing ceasefire and hostage talks.
“Whoever thinks that by targeting my kids during the negotiation talks and before a deal is agreed upon that it will force Hamas to back down on its demands, is delusional,” he said.
Haniyeh Killing Under Investigation, Iran State Media Reports
The killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh is under investigation and the results will be announced later today, Iranian state media reported, citing a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The IRGC, an elite wing of the Iranian military, offered condolences to “the heroic Palestinian nation, the Muslim Ummah (community), fighters of the resistance front and the noble Iranian nation over the martyrdom of the senior Palestinian resistance leader,” state media reported.
Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
White House Aware of Reports of Ismail Haniyeh's Death
The White House has seen the reports of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh being killed in Iran, a spokesperson said, but declined to immediately comment further.
Israeli Military Declines to Comment on Death of Hamas Political Leader
The Israeli military stated they “don’t respond to reports in the foreign media,” after Iranian state media reported that Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran.
In a separate statement, Hamas said Haniyeh was killed in what it said was an Israeli raid on his residence in Tehran after he participated in the inauguration of the Iranian president.
Haniyeh was a longtime senior leader in the group, after first joining Hamas in the late 1980s and climbing the ranks in the following decades.
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