Ismail Haniyeh killed: In a significant development that is expected to have deep consequences in the roiling Middle East tensions, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated, along with one of his bodyguards, in an attack on their residence in Iran's capital Tehran, according to various media reports on Wednesday. Haniyeh's death marks a critical moment in the Israel-Hamas war, as the Israeli military has long aimed to eliminate him and other leaders of the Palestinian militant group for their role in the October 7 attacks.
Haniyeh was the tough-talking face of Hamas' international diplomacy as the war with Israel has raged on in Gaza for nearly ten months, and had been residing in Qatar to participate in peace talks. The 62-year-old leader was the chief of Hamas' political bureau and a long-time leader of the militant group, becoming a "specially designated" global terrorist by the United States.
The Palestinian militant group in a statement said Haniyeh was killed "in a Zionist airstrike on his residence in Tehran after he participated in the inauguration of Iran’s new president". There was no reaction from the White House and Israel on Haniyeh's assassination, but his death marks a major victory in Israel's efforts to eliminate Hamas leaders for the October 7 attacks that killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Who is Ismail Haniyeh?
- Haniyeh, 62, was born in the Al-Shati refugee camp near Gaza City in 1962 and joined Hamas in the late 1980s during the First Intifada (uprising), becoming one of its prominent members.
- Haniyeh was arrested by Israeli authorities in 1988 and was imprisoned for six months for his participation in the first intifada against Israeli occupation. After remaining behind bars in Israel for three years, he was exiled in 1992 to a land between Israel and Lebanon, along with several other Hamas leaders.
- After a year in exile, Haniyeh returned to Gaza and became the personal secretary of Hamas' spiritual leader Sheikh Yassin, who was assassinated in 2003. Haniyeh rose quickly through Hamas' leadership ranks, being appointed part of a secret “collective leadership” in 2004 to the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority in 2006.
- Months of armed tensions between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority ended in Hamas ousting Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party in 2007. Haniyeh served as the leader of the de facto government in the Gaza Strip. In 2017, he was selected as the chief of Hamas' political bureau, replacing Khaled Meshaal.
- Haniyeh was designated as a "global terrorist" by the United States in 2017. He left Gaza Strip in 2019 and began living in Turkey and Qatar to represent Hamas abroad. He has led the Hamas delegation in ceasefire negotiations mediated by Qatar and Egypt on the Israel-Hamas war.
What Haniyeh's death means for war?
Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian's swear-in ceremony on Tuesday. His death is likely to give further impetus to Israel's war efforts in Gaza as the military has warned to wipe out Hamas leaders in the months-long campaign that has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians.
Haniyeh's death would appear to deepen the hostile relations between Israel and Iran, which came close to a direct war a few months ago. Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' comprises several groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis in Yemen that are believed to be financed by Tehran, who have led attacks on Israel.
It is also unclear how Haniyeh's death would impact the ongoing ceasefire negotiations. CIA Director Bill Burns was in Rome on Sunday to meet with senior officials from Israel, Qatar and Egypt in the latest round of talks. Israel and Hamas still have key differences that have impeded a negotiated ceasefire so far. Israeli officials estimate that some 14,000 fighters from militant groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been killed or taken prisoner since the war began.
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