Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in missile strike amid growing tensions in Middle East

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said early Wednesday.

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Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been assassinated in a missile strike in Tehran, the terror group has said.

No group has claimed responsibility for his death yet, however, fingers are being pointed at Israel, which previously threatened to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders following an attack on October 7. The incident in Israel resulted in 1,200 deaths and around 250 hostages.

The Mirror reports that Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday. Details surrounding his death have not yet been disclosed.

Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard stated that the attack is currently under investigation. Analysts on Iranian state television were quick to accuse Israel of orchestrating the attack. Israel has not commented on the incident.

The White House has not yet responded. Haniyeh's assassination comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

Earlier this week, a rocket from Lebanon struck a football field in the Golan Heights on Saturday, killing 12 children and teenagers, according to Israeli authorities. Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the attack, which has raised fears of a potential escalation of fighting in the Middle East.

Elsewhere, the Biden administration is attempting to broker a temporary cease-fire and hostage-release deal between Hamas and Israel. CIA Director Bill Burns was in Rome on Sunday for discussions with senior officials from Israel, Qatar, and Egypt.

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In addition, Brett McGurk, the White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, is in the region for talks with US partners. Israel is believed to have been orchestrating a long-term assassination campaign aimed at Iranian nuclear scientists and others linked to its nuclear programme.

In 2020, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a leading Iranian military nuclear scientist, was assassinated by a remote-controlled machine gun while travelling in a car on the outskirts of Tehran. In the ongoing conflict with Hamas since the October attack, over 39,360 Palestinians have lost their lives and more than 90,900 have been injured, as per the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.

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