Updated 09.28 | Published 05.21
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Hamas’s top leader Ismail Haniya and his bodyguard have been killed in an attack in Tehran.
The attack is said to have taken place shortly after a meeting with the Iranian president.
Hamas blames Israel for the act and says it will not pass unnoticed.
The information about Ismail Haniya’s death comes from the Iranian government Irna. Several news agencies are also reporting on the attack, which is said to have taken place in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
According to Irna, Haniya was killed in his home, other media reports state that he was visiting the city. Haniya was a resident of Qatar where he ruled Hamas in exile.
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full screen The Hamas leader met Iran’s newly sworn-in president Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Tuesday. Photo: AP
Hamas has issued a statement in which the movement claims it was an Israeli attack. It also said it took place after Haniya attended an inauguration ceremony for Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian, reports CNN.
“The assassination of the leader Ismail Haniya was a cowardly act and will not go unnoticed,” writes Musa Abu Marzouk, a high-ranking leader in the terror-classified movement, according to CNN.
Blaming Israel
Haniya’s brother also blames Israel for the attack.
– My brother was killed in an attack by Israeli agents on his residence, he says according to the news channel Iran international.
CNN has been in contact with the Israeli military who do not want to comment on “information in foreign media”.
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full screen Ismail Haniya. Photo: Vahid Salemi / AP
62-year-old Haniya was formally the top political leader of Hamas, labeled a terrorist. He was chairman of the movement’s highest decision-making body and was an international face. He was born in a refugee camp in Gaza and joined Hamas in the early 1980s.
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full screen Photo: Khalil Hamra / AP
Worked in exile
Haniya was the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority in 2006-2007, ten years later he became the leader of Hamas.
Haniya has previously been the victim of attempted murder. In 2006, he received a letter with poison. As recently as last November, three of his sons were killed during an Israeli airstrike.
Hamas is a terrorist movement and Haniya has been described by the US as a dedicated global terrorist. At the same time, over the years, he has participated in peace talks, including with former US President Jimmy Carter, reports CNN.
FACT Who was Ismail Haniya?
(Source: TT)
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Ismail Haniya meeting with Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian, a few hours before the deadly attack. Photo: Iran’s presidential staff via AP/TT
The death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya is a giant step closer to a major regional war, according to Middle East expert Alexander Atarodi.
– Every time something happens, we get closer to a gigantic volcanic eruption that we cannot protect ourselves from. This is definitely a giant step towards a major war.
The attack inside Tehran is a very daring move by Israel, Atarodi believes. He believes that Iran is currently sitting and discussing various counter-reactions
– This cannot go unpunished. If Iran feels that this attack has crossed their red line then the backlash will be extensive and they will mobilize all their resources in terms of resistance movements that extend from Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Hezbollah.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is now speaking out about Ismail Haniya’s death.
He says the country “will defend its territorial integrity” and that the attackers “will regret their cowardly attack”, reports the Iranian news agency Ilna.
Qatar, which has led the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, condemns the attack on Hamas leader Ismail Haniya, several international media reports.
It calls it a “crime” and warns of “a dangerous escalation”.
The country’s foreign minister believes that it “could lead to chaos” in the region.
Before his death, Haniyeh was a resident of Qatar where he ruled Hamas in exile.
Iran’s state news agency Fars News writes that Ismail Haniya was in a residence for war veterans when he was killed in a robot attack. The attack took place at 02:00 local time. The incident is now being investigated in Iran.
Middle East expert Anders Persson says that the killing of Hamas leader Haniya could lead to an escalation.
– It is a great triumph for Israel and a great setback for Hamas and Iran, who failed to protect him, he says.
How important was Haniya to Hamas?
– He is on paper their highest leader, but his status has fallen and he has been given a more ceremonial role. His real power has decreased, says Persson in an interview with Aftonbladet’s Alma Hogenäs.
What do you think will happen in the coming days?
– The ball is in Iran’s half. Iran and Hezbollah have the next step, it is unclear how they will respond and what capacity they have.
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