Hamas' one senior leader has died in Iran

 

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran released a statement early on Wednesday confirming the death of prominent Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.

On Wednesday morning local time, the IRGC-affiliated media outlet Tasnim News released a statement declaring Haniyeh's passing in Tehran. The killing was also covered by CNN, the Associated Press, and the New York Times.

The 62-year-old Haniyeh oversaw the political wing of Hamas. The late 1980s saw him enlist in the militant group.

The Hamas-affiliated Shehab news agency released a statement in which the group claimed that Haniyeh was killed by Israel in a "treacherous" attack on his Tehran home.

Previously, Haniyeh lived in exile in Qatar. Several reports state that he had gone to Tehran to witness the inauguration of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, was also met by Haniyeh on Tuesday, according to The Times.

Neither side took immediate credit for the murder.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, promised in October to exact "mighty vengeance" on Hamas and its leaders for their October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the kidnapping of about 250 more.

Prosecutor Karim Khan of the International Criminal Court declared in a statement in May that he would pursue an arrest warrant for Haniyeh. On October 7, Khan charged Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, and Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas' military wing, with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Israeli military told CNN that they "don't respond to reports in the foreign media" when they were contacted for comment on reports in Iranian state media. Although they were aware of the reports, a White House representative told the outlet they would not comment.

When Business Insider asked for comments, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces and the Pentagon did not immediately reply.

Following an Israeli strike on Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, Haniyeh's death has been reported. Israel claimed that the top Hezbollah commander was behind a deadly rocket attack that occurred over the weekend in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

Ismail Haniyeh

Born in a camp for refugees close to Gaza City, Haniyeh, now sixty-two, joined Hamas in the late 1980s during the First Intifada, or uprising.  Haniyeh advanced through the ranks as Hamas gained power, and in 2004 he was named to a covert "collective leadership" group.

 He rose to the position of group chief by 2017; shortly after, the US designated him as a "specially designated global terrorist." He has met with world leaders such as Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and Chinese diplomat Wang Kejian earlier this year. 

He has also taken part in peace negotiations with former US President Jimmy Carter over the years. According to Hamas, three of Haniyeh's sons and four of his grandchildren were killed in Israeli airstrikes in April. 

Haniyeh, who was based in Qatar, stated at the time that their passing would not have an impact on the ongoing ceasefire and hostage negotiations. "Anyone who believes that by focusing on my children during the bargaining process and prior to reaching an agreement, Hamas will be compelled to compromise on its demands is insane," he declared.

hamas, leader, killed