Tensions escalate in the Middle East after Hamas said its leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli strike in Tehran, a claim Israel has not confirmed.
Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzook said Haniyeh was killed in a “cowardly Zionist raid which will not go unpunished” in his accommodation in Tehran, where he had attended the inauguration of Iran’s new president on Tuesday.
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters it was “a serious escalation that will not achieve its goals”.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the killing, as reported by Wafa, with Palestinian factions calling for a general strike and mass demonstrations.
Israeli Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu wrote on social media that Haniyeh’s death “makes the world a little better”, though Israel has not officially responded to the allegations.
He stated in an X post “This is the right way to clean the world from this filth. No more imaginary “peace”/surrender agreements, no more mercy for these mortals.”
He added “The iron hand that will strike them, is the one that will bring peace and a little comfort and strengthen our ability to live in peace with those who desire peace.”
The assassination raises fears of wider regional conflict, following recent tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned Hezbollah it would “pay a heavy price” for a recent attack on the Golan Heights that killed 12 children, which Hezbollah denied involvement in.
Israel subsequently conducted airstrikes in Lebanon, including in Beirut, claiming to target a senior Hezbollah official.
