Tehran : Hamas chief Ismail Hanyeh has been killed in Iranian capital Tehran. Residing overseas, Hanyeh is a key figure who headed Hamas’s political operations. His three sons were killed in a Israeli airstrike a few months ago while traveling in Gaza city.
Haniyeh was killed in a “raid” of his residence in Tehran, following his participation in the new Iranian president’s inaugural. The assailants also killed a security guard as they broke into Haniyeh’s residence.
The slaying comes at a sensitive time while mediation on hostages and ceasefire talks in Gaza is underway. The new Iranian president was sworn in on Tuesday and Hamas had released pictures the same noon of Haniyeh present at the event.
Haniyeh’s death also comes a day after Israel said it killed Hezbollah’s most senior military official Fu’ad Shukri in a drone strike.
Haniyeh(62) was born in a refugee camp close to Gaza City and joined Hamas in his 20s during the first uprising. He rose through the group’s ranks and came to be appointed as part of secret “collective leadership” in 2004 and became Hamas’s chief in 2017.
In April, Israeli airstrikes killed three of Haniyeh’s sons and four of his grandchildren in Gaza. At the time, Haniyeh lived in Qatar and asserted the deaths would not pressurise concessions in the ongoing ceasefire and hostage talks.
