On the 299th day of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced in a statement the assassination of its political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Shortly after, Israel assassinated Al Jazeera correspondent Ismail Al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami Al-Rifi in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas stated that the movement's leader "was killed following a treacherous Zionist airstrike on his residence in Tehran." One of the movement's leaders confirmed that the assassination would not go unpunished, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced that it was investigating the dimensions of Haniyeh's martyrdom in Tehran and would announce the results of the investigation later.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah confirmed the assassination of its military commander Fouad Shukr in an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburb of Beirut on Tuesday evening.
The U.S. Deputy Representative to the Security Council stated:
"The broader war is neither imminent nor inevitable. Israel is defending itself against repeated Hezbollah attacks. The United States had no role in the Israeli response in Lebanon on July 30. We have no knowledge or connection to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. It is Iran's proxies who have dangerously brought us closer to a wide regional conflict."
Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), who was martyred following a treacherous Zionist airstrike on his residence in Tehran, was the most prominent figure in the international diplomacy of the Palestinian movement. As the war in Gaza intensified, three of his sons were martyred in an Israeli airstrike.
After assuming the role of head of Hamas's political bureau in 2017, Haniyeh moved between Turkey and the Qatari capital, Doha, escaping the travel restrictions imposed on the besieged Gaza Strip. This mobility enabled him to negotiate in the ongoing indirect ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel, mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.
Shortly after the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation carried out by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023, Haniyeh told Al Jazeera, "We say to all countries, including our Arab brothers, this entity cannot protect itself against these fighters. It cannot provide you with security or protection. All normalization and recognition of this entity cannot resolve this conflict."
Israel responded to the attack by launching a military campaign that, according to Gaza health authorities, has resulted in the martyrdom of more than 39,400 Palestinians inside the Strip so far.
On April 10, Hamas announced the martyrdom of Haniyeh's three sons, Hazem, Amir, and Mohammed, when an Israeli airstrike targeted the car they were traveling in. Hamas also stated that Haniyeh lost four of his grandchildren, three girls and a boy, in the airstrike.
Haniyeh denied Israeli claims that his sons were fighting within the ranks of the movement, stating, "The interests of our Palestinian people come before anything else, and our sons are part of this people," when asked whether the martyrdom of his sons and grandchildren would affect ceasefire talks. Despite his stern rhetoric, diplomats and Arab officials consider him relatively pragmatic.
Haniyeh warned Israeli soldiers that they would find themselves "sinking in the sands of Gaza," but he, along with his predecessor Khaled Meshaal, conducted shuttle tours in the region to hold talks aimed at reaching an agreement with Israel for a ceasefire and the release of detainees in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, as well as the entry of more aid into Gaza.
Israel views all Hamas leaders as "terrorists," accusing Haniyeh, Meshaal, and others of continuing to "control the Hamas organization."
However, it remains unclear to what extent Haniyeh was aware of the October 7 attack before it occurred. The plan, devised by the military council of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing in Gaza, was so secretive that some movement officials seemed surprised by its timing and scale.