Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas Political Bureau chief, has been killed in an attack in Tehran, Iran, as confirmed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday, according to Press TV. The IRGC, in a statement to Meher News Agency, reported that Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed when their residence was targeted in Tehran.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iran's Supreme Leader, Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, met with Haniyeh, sharing pictures of their meeting on social media platform "X." Khamenei's office stated that the meeting included Mr. Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) responded to Khamenei's post, criticizing the meeting and accusing Iran of funding and arming terrorist organizations against Israel.
In April, three of Haniyeh's sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The IDF confirmed the deaths of Amir Haniyeh, a cell commander in Hamas' military wing, and Mohammad and Hazem Haniyeh, both Hamas military operatives. The IDF's statement on April 10 confirmed their deaths in central Gaza, highlighting their roles within Hamas.
Meanwhile, the IDF also announced the elimination of Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah’s most senior military commander. Shukr, known as "Sayyid Muhsan," was identified as the right-hand man to Hezbollah commander Hassan Nasrallah and was responsible for numerous attacks, including the killing of 12 children in northern Israel and managing Hezbollah's advanced weaponry.
Haniyeh, who was based in Qatar, was in Tehran for the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian. The IRGC's statement expressed condolences to the people of Palestine, the Islamic nation, and the combatants of the Resistance Front, acknowledging Haniyeh's and his bodyguard's deaths as martyrdom.