Ismail Haniyeh.
New Delhi: In a significant escalation of regional tensions, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh has been killed in an Israeli airstrike on his residence in the Iranian capital, Tehran, sometime between late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. The attack occurred within hours of Haniyeh attending the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Hamas confirmed the assassination and blamed an Israeli airstrike for the death, describing it as a “treacherous Zionist raid” and declaring Haniyeh a “martyr”. Iranian state media reported the incident, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps also confirmed the killing and said it was investigating the attack without divulging further details. Israel, however, has not officially commented on the operation.
Haniyeh, a prominent figure in Hamas, had been a key player in the group’s political and military strategies. His presence in Tehran underscored the close ties between Hamas and Iran, a relationship that has been a focal point of Israeli security concerns. The airstrike is seen as part of Israel’s broader strategy to target high-ranking members of Iran-backed militia groups in the region it considers a threat to its national security.
In the latest Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, which started on October 7, 2023, Israel has killed around 60 members of Haniyeh’s family, including his three children and several grandchildren. Israel has vowed to kill Haniyeh and other leaders of Hamas over the group’s October 7 raid inside Israel, which triggered the war.
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The killing of Haniyeh follows a series of recent escalations in the region following the start of Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. This includes increased rocket attacks by Lebanon-based Hezbollah in northern Israel from southern Lebanon and retaliatory strikes by Israel.
Israel kills top Hezbollah commander in Beirut airstrike
In a related development, hours before the assassination of Hamas leader Haniyeh, Hezbollah’s military commander Fouad Shukur was also killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, on Tuesday. Shukur, who was accused by the US of orchestrating the 1983 bombing of a Marine Corps barracks in Beirut that killed 241 American servicemen, was a senior figure within Hezbollah.
The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the strike, stating that Shukur was behind a recent rocket attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that resulted in the deaths of 12 young people from the Druze community. Hezbollah denied carrying out the attack and instead blamed the strike on an Israeli Iron Dome air-defence missile.
Shukur, also known as Hajj Mohsin, was a close military advisor to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and played a crucial role in the group’s military operations. His death represents a significant blow to Hezbollah, which has been a persistent and major adversary of Israel in the region.
The airstrike in Tehran killing Haniyeh marks a bold move by Israel, demonstrating its willingness to extend its military operations beyond its immediate borders to target adversaries.
These targeted killings of high-profile Iran-backed militia leaders, collectively known as “Axis of Resistance”, by Israel are likely to further inflame tensions in the Middle East. Analysts and the international community fear that this may potentially lead to a new cycle of violence and retaliation that may spiral out of control into a regional war.
