Hamas leader killed in raid blamed on Israel

KABUL (Pajhwok): Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an attack on his residence in Tehran on Wednesday, the Palestinian group announced.

Hamas blamed Israel for assassinating its political chief along with a bodyguard in the strike on the building where they were staying.

Haniyeh was in Iran’s capital to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday, AL Jazeera reported.

The movement ruling Gaza said: “Brother, leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also confirmed Haniyeh’s death. “Early this morning, the residence of Haniyeh in Tehran was struck, resulting in his martyrdom.”

In a statement, IRGC said the cause was currently under investigation and would be announced shortly.

Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk slammed the strike as a "cowardly act that would not go unpunished".

Following the October 7 attack that killed 1,195 people, Israel had vowed to kill Haniyeh and destroy the group led by him.

In a retaliatory military campaign in Gaza, Israel has killed at least 39,400 people, according to the health ministry in the embattled strip.

PAN Monitor/mud