Hamas’ top political leader Ismail Haniyeh has been killed in “a treacherous Zionist raid,” according to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). The news that broke Wednesday morning (Jul 31) is set to change the course of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East.
The IRGC also confirmed the death of one of Haniyeh’s bodyguards who was also killed in the “raid”. But what does the IRGC have to do with Palestinian group Hamas’ leader, Haniyeh?
It is because Ismail Haniyeh was in Iran when the alleged assassination happened. He was in the capital Tehran on Tuesday, attending the inauguration ceremony of the country’s new president, Masoud Pezeskhian.
“The residence of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political office of Hamas Islamic Resistance, was hit in Tehran, and as a result of this incident, him and one of his bodyguards were martyred,” said the IRGC Sepah news website.
Here is the video of Haniyeh moments before the attack in Iran, hugging the new Iranian president Pezeskhian, who succeeded Iran’s eighth president Ebrahim Raisi recently killed in a helicopter crash in May 2024.
Haniyeh also met the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei at his official residence.
https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1818498506283532601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1818498506283532601%7Ctwgr%5Ee807acd3049ae25360bad5831233564c7c7d5934%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wionews.com%2Fworld%2Fmoments-before-hamas-top-brass-ismail-haniyeh-was-killed-in-iran-745821
The swearing-in ceremony was also attended by India, where Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari represented the country at the event.
https://twitter.com/sidhant/status/1818508854818156831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1818508854818156831%7Ctwgr%5Ee807acd3049ae25360bad5831233564c7c7d5934%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wionews.com%2Fworld%2Fmoments-before-hamas-top-brass-ismail-haniyeh-was-killed-in-iran-745821
Hamas has also confirmed the death of Haniyeh and said that an Israeli airstrike killed the Hamas leader, but Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has said it was investigating the attack and did not say how it occurred.
Haniyeh was appointed to the Hamas top job in 2017, as per reports. He moved between Turkey and Qatar’s capital Doha, escaping the travel curbs of the blockaded Gaza Strip, acting as a negotiator in ceasefire talks with Israel and participating in talks with Hamas’ ally Iran.
Haniyeh joined Hamas in 1987 when the group was founded amid the outbreak of the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against Israeli occupation, which lasted until 1993.
According to Hamas, as reported by Reuters, three of Haniyeh’s sons—Hazem, Amir, and Mohammad—were killed on April 10 when an Israeli airstrike hit their car. Additionally, four of his grandchildren, three girls and one boy, also died in the attack.
Source » wionews