Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran, as reported by Iranian state media, Press TV, on Wednesday, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Haniyeh, the exiled political chief of the militant group, had spent much of his recent years in Qatar. He had acted as a negotiator in ceasefire talks and liaised with Iran, Hamas’s main ally, during the Israel-Gaza war.
A statement from Hamas claimed that Haniyeh and his bodyguard were killed in a “Zionist raid” on his residence in Tehran following his participation in the inauguration of the new Iranian president. CNN reported that the timing of Haniyeh’s death is unclear and that it has reached out to the Israeli military for comment on Hamas’ claim.
Earlier, in April, Israeli airstrikes killed three of Haniyeh’s sons and four of his grandchildren, according to Hamas.
