Reports from Iranian state media outlet, Press TV, suggest that Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, has been assassinated in Tehran, as confirmed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday.
Haniyeh, who held the position of the exiled political head of the group, had been primarily based in Qatar in recent times.
He played a key role in ceasefire negotiations and maintained close communication with Hamas’s key supporter, Iran, during the conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Further details from a Hamas statement point to Haniyeh’s death, along with his bodyguard, following an alleged attack on his Tehran residence by Israeli forces after his attendance at the new Iranian president’s inauguration.
In response to these claims, CNN notes that the exact timing of Haniyeh’s demise remains unclear and efforts have been made to reach out to the Israeli military for their input on the matter.
Additionally, there is a grim reminder of the ongoing violence as Hamas recalls that in April, Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of three of Haniyeh’s sons and four of his grandchildren.