Hamas chief assassinated in Iran

The Palestinian militant group accused Israel of killing its political leader and said this ‘grave escalation’ will not go unanswered

Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh has been killed in the Iranian capital of Tehran, the Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Wednesday. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said he had been targeted in his residence and was visiting Iran to attend the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian. 

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri accused Israel of the assassination and called it “a grave escalation” in a comment to Reuters. Israel has yet to comment on the killing.

It comes less than a day after Israel attacked the Lebanese capital of Beirut in what its forces said was a targeted attack on Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.

Israel had threatened to eliminate Haniyeh and other leaders of Hamas over the group’s October 7 attack on that left 1,200 dead and saw some 250 others taken hostage.