Center East disaster: Hamas says chief Ismail Haniyeh killed in Iran – newest updates

Broadcaster Al-Jazeera has posted a full copy of Hamas’ assertion on Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination. Right here it’s:

Within the identify of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful (And don’t suppose that those that are killed in the best way of Allah are lifeless. Somewhat, they’re alive with their Lord, receiving provision.)

The Islamic Resistance Motion Hamas mourns to our nice Palestinian folks, to the Arab and Islamic nation, and to all of the free folks of the world: Brother, chief, martyr, Mujahid Ismail Haniyeh.

The top of the motion, who was killed in a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran, after collaborating within the inauguration ceremony of the brand new Iranian president. To Allah we belong and to Him we will return. And it’s a jihad, victory or martyrdom.

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of Yemen’s Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee, has referred to as Haniyeh’s killing a “heinous terrorist crime” in keeping with Reuters:

Focusing on Ismail Haniyeh is a heinous terrorist crime and a flagrant violation of legal guidelines and supreme values.

Haniyeh has beforehand stated that 60 of his kin had been killed because the begin of the warfare triggered by Hamas’s lethal assaults on southern Israel in October.

Most just lately, in April he stated three of his sons and at the very least two grandchildren had been killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza. Israel’s army confirmed it had focused Haniyeh’s sons, who it described as “three Hamas operatives” who had been “on their way to carry out terrorist activities”.

Haniyeh stated on the time: “All our people and all the families of Gaza have paid a heavy price in blood, and I am one of them.”

Right here’s the Guardian’s full report on the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh from our correspondent Emma Graham-Harrison:

Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of Hamas, has been focused and killed in Tehran, the group stated in an announcement early on Wednesday morning.

The Hamas assertion stated the group mourned Haniyeh “who died as a result of a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran, after participating in the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian president”.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard confirmed the assassination, which was reported on Iranian State TV early on Wednesday morning, with analysts additionally claiming Israel killed Haniyeh, the AP stated.

The Israeli army declined to remark. Israel has a historical past of covert assassinations inside Iran, largely hitting scientists engaged on the nation’s nuclear programme.

The demise of Haniyeh is damaging to Hamas, however he was not concerned within the army operations on the bottom in Gaza, and the group has survived previous assassinations of its management.

In 2004, Israel killed each Hamas chief Ahmed Yassin and co-founder Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi in assaults in Gaza.

Haniyeh’s demise got here simply hours after Israel claimed it killed Hezbollah’s prime army commander, Fuad Shukur, in an airstrike on a south Beirut suburb launched in retaliation for a rocket assault that killed 12 youngsters on the weekend.

Emma Graham-Harrison

The demise of Haniyeh is damaging to Hamas, however he was not concerned within the army operations on the bottom in Gaza, and the group has survived previous assassinations of its management.

In 2004, Israel killed each Hamas chief Ahmed Yassin and co-founder Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi in assaults in Gaza.

Haniyeh’s demise got here simply hours after Israel claimed it killed Hezbollah’s prime army commander, Fuad Shukur, in an airstrike on a south Beirut suburb launched in retaliation for a rocket assault that killed 12 youngsters on the weekend.

The US had been main a world diplomatic effort to stop tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed by Tehran, from escalating into full blown regional battle.

The 2 assassinations now increase the stakes not only for Hamas and Hezbollah, however Iran, which backs each teams.

The assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran is a grave escalation that won’t obtain its objectives, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri has instructed Reuters:

This assassination by the Israeli occupation of Brother Haniyeh is a grave escalation that goals to interrupt the desire of Hamas and the desire of our folks and obtain pretend objectives. We affirm that this escalation will fail to realize its aims.

Hamas is an idea and an establishment and never individuals. Hamas will proceed on this path whatever the sacrifices and we’re assured of victory.

Just a few extra images of Ismail Haniyeh from through the years:

Ismail Haniyeh assassination in Iran is a “cowardly act that will not go unpunished”, Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV has cited senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk as saying.

Hamas’ management preparations could be opaque to outsiders. Ismail Haniyeh was formally the chair of the group’s political political bureau and lived in exile, whereas Yahya Sinwar is the chief of Hamas in Gaza and was reportedly the mastermind of the 7 October assault on Israel. Khaled Mashal can also be a outstanding Hamas political chief who lives in exile.

My colleague, Jason Burke, wrote an explainer on Hamas’ power and the opportunity of a Gaza ceasefire on the finish of final yr and in it he delved into Hamas’ management construction. Right here’s an excerpt:

In principle, Hamas is run by a management council or “shura’” drawn from regional councils elected by Hamas members in Gaza, the West Financial institution and by prisoners in Israeli jails. In actuality, the organisation is riven by factional disputes and character clashes.

One break up divides the army from the political wings. One other pits the leaders in Gaza, who’ve lived for many years within the crosshairs of Israel’s safety companies or spent years in Israeli jails, towards senior figures abroad in Qatar, Turkey, Lebanon or elsewhere who dwell in relative consolation and safety.

That is aggravated by character clashes. Yahya Sinwar, the chief of Hamas in Gaza, is claimed to be barely on talking phrases with Khaled Mashal, who’s the best-known of the organisation’s political leaders and based mostly in Qatar.

It’s unclear if Sinwar briefed the political management in Qatar and Lebanon on the deliberate 7 October assaults however that is thought unlikely by consultants – including to the resentment.

The comparatively pragmatic Ismail Haniyeh, the chair of Hamas’s political bureau, tries to mediate among the many factions, although with little success, consultants say.

Haniyeh additionally has his personal job to do. “Haniyeh is leading the political battle for Hamas with Arab governments,” stated Adeeb Ziadeh, a specialist in Palestinian affairs at Qatar College. “He is the political and diplomatic front of Hamas.”

The inner disputes complicate this activity. In current weeks, Haniyeh has moved between Turkey and Qatar’s capital, Doha, escaping the journey restrictions of the blockaded Gaza Strip and enabling him to behave as a negotiator within the earlier ceasefire deal or speak to Hamas’s fundamental ally, Iran.

However the closing sure or no comes from Sinwar. When throughout current talks Sinwar determined to chop off communications, negotiations stalled. “This pretty effectively underlined who is calling the shots,” stated one European diplomatic supply briefed the negotiations.

Right here is the total assertion from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards:

With condolences to the heroic nation of Palestine and the Islamic nation and the fighters of the resistance entrance and the noble nation of Iran, this morning [Wednesday] the residence of Mr. Dr. Ismail Haniyeh, the top of the political workplace of the Islamic resistance of Hamas, was hit in Tehran, and following this incident, he and one in every of his bodyguards was martyred.

The trigger and dimensions of this incident are being investigated and the outcomes will probably be introduced later.

Israel has but to make any touch upon Ismail Haniyeh’s killing however in its assertion Hamas accused it of duty. Related Press studies that analysts on Iranian state tv have additionally begun blaming Israel for the assault. The company writes:

Israel itself didn’t instantly remark however it usually doesn’t in relation to assassinations carried out by their Mossad intelligence company.

Israel is suspected of working a years-long assassination marketing campaign focusing on Iranian nuclear scientists and others related to its atomic program.

In 2020, a prime Iranian army nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was killed by a remote-controlled machine gun whereas touring in a automotive outdoors Tehran.

Right here is a few of the final photos of Ismail Haniyeh – he was photographed in Tehran on Tuesday assembly Iran’s Supreme Chief Ali Khamenei (R) and secretary common of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Motion Ziyad al-Nakhalah (L).

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has been killed in Tehran, the Palestinian militant group Hamas has stated.

In an announcement, the Islamist faction mourned the demise of Haniyeh, who it stated was killed in “a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran”.

Earlier, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards stated he had been focused in his residence together with an Iranian bodyguard. It stated he had been in Iran to attend the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian. It stated it was investigating the circumstances of the “incident”.

Israel has but to touch upon his killing.

Haniyeh was the exiled political chief of the militant group and had spent a lot of his time lately in Qatar and Turkey. Thought of a pragmatist, he had acted as a negotiator within the ceasefire talks through the Israel-Gaza warfare, liaised with Hamas’s fundamental ally, Iran, and met with the Turkish president.

Haniyeh was additionally stated to take care of good relations with the heads of the assorted Palestinian factions, together with rivals to Hamas.

Haniyeh was elected head of the Hamas political bureau in 2017 to succeed Khaled Meshaal, however was already a widely known determine having grow to be Palestinian prime minister in 2006 following an upset victory by Hamas in that yr’s parliamentary election.

Welcome to our dwell protection of occasions within the Center East.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has been killed in Iran, the militant group has confirmed in an announcement.

Earlier, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards stated he had been focused in his residence together with an Iranian bodyguard. It stated he had been in Iran to attend the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian. It stated it was investigating the circumstances of the “incident”.

Haniyeh was the exiled political chief of the militant group and had spent a lot of his time lately in Qatar.

Here’s a abstract of the newest developments.

• Israel says it has killed Hezbollah’s prime army commander, Fuad Shukur, in an airstrike on a south Beirut suburb launched in retaliation for a rocket assault that killed 12 youngsters on the weekend. Shukur, often known as Hajj Mohsin, served as proper hand man to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Israel’s army spokesperson R Adm Daniel Hagari stated in a briefing on Tuesday night time.

• US defence secretary Lloyd Austin doesn’t imagine {that a} battle between Israel and Hezbollah is inevitable, and stated Washington want to see issues resolved in a diplomatic trend, Reuters studies. “While we’ve seen a lot of activity on Israel’s northern border, we remain concerned about the potential of this escalating into a full-blown fight. And I don’t believe that a fight is inevitable,” Austin stated. “We’d like to see things resolved in a diplomatic fashion.” Austin made the feedback on Tuesday at a joint press convention in Manila.

• Israel’s army has charged a reservist with aggravated abuse of Palestinian prisoners, a spokesperson stated on Tuesday, as 9 different troopers appeared in army courtroom for an preliminary listening to over allegations they’d sexually abused a detainee from Gaza. The opposite troopers detained on Monday are accused of raping and attacking a Palestinian prisoner on the Sde Teiman detention centre so violently that he was taken to hospital in essential situation, Israeli media reported.

• Gaza official says 300 folks had been killed in Israel’s assault on Khan Younis. 1000’s of Palestinians returned residence on Tuesday after the assault got here to an finish. Gaza’s civil defence company stated Tuesday that the Israeli operation in and across the metropolis killed about 300 folks because it started final week.

• Two air defence bases in southern Syria have been struck by Israeli missiles, a warfare monitor has stated. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported no casualties within the in a single day strikes in Daraa province, which abuts the armistice line separating Syrian and Israeli forces on the Golan.

• Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday referred to as on Israel to not fall into the “trap” of retaliation, saying she was “very, very worried” by the scenario in Lebanon and by the chance of a regional escalation. Talking throughout an official go to to China, Meloni stated the worldwide group ought to proceed sending messages of moderation, and that China might assist in these efforts, having “solid ties” with Iran and Saudi Arabia.