{"id":114667,"date":"2024-07-31T17:05:42","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T15:05:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=114667"},"modified":"2024-07-31T13:34:09","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T11:34:09","slug":"02-05-104","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=114667","title":{"rendered":"Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in Tehran"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in Tehran<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Andrew Bernard, Joshua Marks<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

The Hamas political bureau chief was one of the terrorist group’s most senior leaders alongside Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the Oct. 7 massacre.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, surrounded by lawmakers, flashes the victory sign during the swearing in ceremony for the new Iranian president, at the parliament in Tehran on July 30, 2024. Photo by AFP via Getty Images.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The chairman of Hamas\u2019s political bureau was killed in Iran early on Wednesday morning, according to Iranian government sources and Hamas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ismail Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were reportedly killed by a missile in his Tehran guest house at 2 a.m. local time. The Hamas leader was in Iran for the inauguration of Iran\u2019s new president Masoud Pezeshkian<\/span><\/p>\n

Iranian media reported that Haniyah was staying at a special residence for war veterans in the north of the capital, \u201cwhen he was martyred by an air-launched missile,\u201d according to the semi-official Fars<\/em> news agency.<\/span><\/p>\n

An Iranian source told the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen<\/em> network, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, that the strike \u201cwas carried out by means of a missile launched from country to country, not from within Iran.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Qatari news outlet Al<\/em>\u2013Araby Al-Jadeed<\/em>, citing informed sources, reported that Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhaleh was in the building where Haniyeh was staying, on a different floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Haniyeh was killed in a \u201ctreacherous Zionist raid,\u201d according to a Hamas social media channel. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also confirmed Haniyeh\u2019s death in a statement published by the Islamic Republic\u2019s state-run media.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Israeli government has not commented on the incident, which came a few hours after the assassination by Israel of senior Hezbollah official Fuad Shukar<\/a> in the heart of Beirut, which was acknowledged by the Israeli military.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite instructions from the Israeli Prime Minister\u2019s Office for ministers to avoid making public statements on the Iran strike, some did so anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n

Israeli Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu<\/a> tweeted that \u201cthis is the right way to clean the world of this filth. No more imaginary \u2018peace\u2019\/surrender agreements, no more mercy \u2026 The iron hand that will strike them is the one that will bring peace and a little comfort and strengthen our ability to live in peace with those who desire peace. Haniyeh\u2019s death makes the world a little better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei <\/a>hosted Haniyeh and Nakhaleh earlier this week in Tehran.<\/span><\/p>\n

Based in the Qatari capital of Doha, Haniyeh was one of the most senior members of Hamas, along with the terror group\u2019s leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar. His funeral will take place in Doha on Friday, according to the Saudi Al Hadath<\/em> news channel.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Arab Gulf state, a major financial backer and political ally of Hamas, condemned the assassination, saying that the killing \u201cand Israel\u2019s behavior, which harms civilians, will lead to the region slipping into a cycle of chaos that will undermine the opportunities for peace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas<\/a> condemned the assassination in an official statement, calling it \u201ca cowardly act and a dangerous development.\u201d P.A. official Hussein al-Sheikh also condemned the killing: \u201cWe see this as a cowardly act that calls us to remain steadfast in the face of the occupation, and we need to achieve unity of the Palestinian forces and factions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk also called it a \u201ccowardly act\u201d that \u201cwill not go unnoticed,\u201d while the terror group\u2019s spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters<\/em> that it was \u201ca dangerous escalation that will not achieve its goals.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Muhammad al-Hindi, deputy secretary general of Islamic Jihad, called Haniyeh\u2019s killing \u201ca great loss for the Palestinian people,\u201d adding that \u201cHamas is a large movement and will fill any void.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s terror proxy in Yemen, the Houthis, called the strike \u201ca terrorist crime and flagrant violation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The New York Times<\/em> reported on Wednesday morning that Iran was holding an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Security Council at the Supreme Leader\u2019s residence, with the participation of Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani.<\/span><\/p>\n

An Iranian source told Reuters<\/em> that the \u201csecurity bodies\u201d will decide on \u201cour response strategy\u201d to the assassination.<\/span><\/p>\n

The White House said early Wednesday that it was aware of the assassination without commenting further, while U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday in the Philippines that a wider war was not inevitable and that the U.S. would defend Israel if attacked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Haniyeh\u2019s death comes as a U.S. delegation led by Brett McGurk, the White House\u2019s top Middle East adviser, is in Saudi Arabia to discuss the situation in Yemen and the recent escalation between Israel and the Houthis.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) wrote<\/a> that \u201cHaniyeh was the terrorist face of Hamas. The guy hobnobbing with the Ayatollahs and holding court in luxury hotels in Qatar and Turkey.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe skimmed billions of dollars off smuggling goods into Gaza while the people suffered in poverty,\u201d Waltz added. \u201cEven the IRGC couldn\u2019t protect him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n