Quick Hit: 

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian capital of Tehran overnight Tuesday. Haniyeh was in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran's new president when he was killed, according to Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

Key Details:

• Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas official, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Tehran, Iran, where he was attending a presidential inauguration.

• Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced Haniyeh's death but did not specify the cause, while Hamas blamed Israel, declaring him a martyr.

• The killing follows Israel's vow to eliminate Hamas leaders after the group's October 7th attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 250 kidnappings.

Diving Deeper:

According to a report by the New York Post, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Tehran early Wednesday. Haniyeh was in Iran to attend the inauguration of the new Iranian president when the airstrike occurred. The Revolutionary Guard confirmed his death but did not provide details on who was responsible or the method of the assassination. Hamas, however, pointed the finger at Israel, stating Haniyeh was killed in a "Zionist airstrike on his residence in Tehran."

In a brief statement, Hamas declared, "Hamas declares to the great Palestinian people and the people of the Arab and Islamic nations and all the free people of the world, brother leader Ismail Haniyeh a martyr." The Revolutionary Guard corroborated that Haniyeh was killed at his Tehran residence, adding that the cause was under investigation.

No group has officially claimed responsibility for the assassination. Still, it comes in the wake of Israel's commitment to targeting Hamas leadership following the group's brutal October 7th attack on Israel. This assault resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of 250 individuals.

Haniyeh, born in Gaza in 1963, had a long history with Hamas, having joined the group in the 1980s and serving as a key leader for decades. He was appointed Palestinian prime minister in 2006 and later became head of Hamas's political bureau in 2017. He was widely seen as Hamas's overall leader until his death.

Israel has not commented on Haniyeh's killing, though the incident adds to the ongoing violence in the region, which has seen significant Israeli military action in Gaza following the October 7th attack. In April 2024, an Israeli airstrike killed three of Haniyeh's sons and four of his grandchildren in Gaza. Just a month prior to his death, Haniyeh's sister and nine other family members were killed by Israeli forces.