Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed the death of Hamas leader Hanieh, hours after he attended the swearing in ceremony for the country’s new president. The statement said that his bodyguards were also killed in their residences in Tehran today. 

After the assassination, there was no comment from Israel shortly. The Israeli military said that it was conducting assessments but had not issued any new security guidelines for civilians.

“The assassination by the Israeli occupation of Brother Haniyeh is a grave escalation that aims to break the will of Hamas. We confirm that this escalation will fail to achieve its objectives. Hamas is a concept, an institution, not persons”, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement.

The assassination news of Haniyeh came within 24 hours of the claims by Israel that it had killed the  Hezobollah commander who was behind the Golan strike. These two news would turn out dangerous and also may have set back any chances of a ceasefire in the Gaza strip.

Iran’s top security body is expected to meet over to discuss its strategy for a response to the death of Haniyeh who was a close ally of Tehran, said a source.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington would work to try to ease tensions but said the United States would help defend Israel if it was attacked.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the killing of Haniyeh and Palestinian factions in the occupied West Bank called for a general strike and mass demonstrations. Abbas is a rival of Haniyeh but spoke against the killing and termed it as cowardly.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ former commander Mohsin Rezaie said that Israel has to pay a very high price for this attack and killing of Iran’s ally. 

There were condolences offered from governments of Qatar, and Pakistan too.