The assassination of the leader of "Hamas" Ismail Haniya in Tehran is a serious escalation that will not achieve its goals, Palestinian group official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
In the "Hamas" news site "Shehab“ Abu Zuhri is quoted as saying that "Hamas" as a movement strong enough to survive the death of any of its leaders. "We are waging an open war for the liberation of Jerusalem and we are ready to pay any price,” he was quoted as saying.
The terrorist group "Hamas” confirmed that its leader Haniya had been killed in Iran, pointing to the "insidious Zionist attack on his residence in Tehran," the "Times of Israel" reported.
The official representative of the Islamist group Musa Abu Marzouk is quoted by the website "Shehab” to say that the murder was a cowardly act that would not go unpunished and threatened revenge for the murder.
No one claimed responsibility for Haniya's murder, but analysts on Iranian state television immediately began blaming Israel for the attack, the Associated Press reported. Iran has not released details of how Haniya was killed, and the Revolutionary Guards say the attack is under investigation.
Israel has not commented on the incident, but it is widely suspected that it is conducting a long-running assassination campaign targeting Iranian nuclear scientists and others associated with Iran's nuclear program.
Israel's Minister of Cultural Heritage Amichai Eliyahu reacted to the news with a post on the social network "X": "This is the right way to clean the world of this filth. No more imaginary "peace"/treasonous agreements, no mercy for these mortals. The iron hand that will strike them is the one that will bring peace and some comfort and strengthen our ability to live in peace with those who desire peace. Hania's death makes the world a little better.
"Jerusalem Post" recalls that three of Hania's sons were killed in an airstrike in April. The sister of the leader of "Hamas" was also killed in June.
Hania's residence in Gaza, used as a terrorist infrastructure, was hit by an airstrike in November. Haniya usually resides in Qatar, but the property in Gaza was used as a meeting place for other members of the "Hamas" leadership, the "Jerusalem Post" explained.
"Financial Times" points out that the assassination of Haniya raises the risk of further escalation of regional hostilities. The publication cited a statement from the Palestinian group about the death of its leader after a "insidious Zionist” attack on his residence in Tehran.
Hania's killing came hours after Israel said it had killed a senior "Hezbollah" commander. in an airstrike on Beirut, the Lebanese capital, fueling fears that the region is heading for full-scale war, the Financial Times noted. ABC notes that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said on social media that "Hezbollah" has "crossed the red line".
The leader of "Hamas” lived in exile in Qatar but often traveled to Iran, which supports "Hamas” as one of the fighting movements in the so-called axis of resistance, specifies "Financial Times".
The assassination of Haniya in Tehran has also affected Iran's reputation, increasing the risk that Tehran will take action against Israel.
Haniya is the most senior member of Hamas killed since the October attack and Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza that sparked a wave of regional hostilities. He was the main interlocutor for mediators trying to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages held in the Strip.
Tensions in the Middle East had already risen after Israel said it had killed Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander, in an airstrike on a residential building in southern Beirut on Tuesday.
The Israel Defense Forces described Shukr as the most senior military commander of "Hezbollah" and right-hand man of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia.
"Financial Times" points out that the killing of Shukr is the first Israeli strike directed at one of the leaders of "Hezbollah" in Beirut since October 7.
The Israeli army says Shukr was behind last Saturday's strike in Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, which killed 12 youths on a soccer field - the deadliest civilian incident in the Israeli-controlled territory since clashes nearly ten months ago between Israel and "Hezbollah” have become almost everyday.
Regarded as a pragmatist, Haniya was involved in the ceasefire negotiations during the Israel-Gaza war, maintained ties with the main ally of "Hamas" - Iran, and had meetings with the Turkish president, commented the "Guardian". The newspaper noted that Haniya maintained good relations with the leaders of the various Palestinian factions, including rivals of "Hamas".
Hania was elected head of Hamas's political bureau in 2017 to succeed Khaled Meshaal, but was already a well-known figure after becoming Palestinian prime minister in 2006 following the surprise victory of "Hamas" in the parliamentary elections in the same year, the newspaper recalls.
"Guardian" notes that Israel has a long history of killing Palestinian leaders and activists, including the founder of "Hamas" Ahmed Yassin in 2004, of the co-founder of "Hamas" Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi in 2004 and to the co-founder of the party "Fatah" Abu Jihad in 1988
Earlier this month, an attempted assassination of Mohammed Deif was carried out in an airstrike on Khan Younis that leveled several buildings in the Gaza city and killed 90 people. Deif was one of the organizers of the October 7 attack on Israel. However, it is still unclear if Dave is dead; he has survived at least seven Israeli assassination attempts, the "Guardian" recalls.
The newspaper notes that in connection with what happened, Shlomo Karhi, the Minister of Communications, wrote on the "Ex" network: "Yes, all your enemies will perish, God", although it later turned out that the post has been deleted.
Amichai Hickley, Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Anti-Semitism, published in "Ex" video of the leader of "Hamas" with the inscription: “Be careful what you wish for“.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas strongly condemned the killing of Ismail Haniya in Tehran, reported the Palestinian state news agency Wafa. Palestinian nationalist and Islamic factions also called for a general strike and mass demonstrations in response to the killing.
NBC News recalls that the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency vowed to kill Haniya after the group's October 7 terrorist attacks left 1,200 dead and 250 hostages.