- IRGC confirms Haniyeh's death, says it is investigating.
- Hamas would continue the path it was following: Zuhri.
- Hamas describes the attack on its leader as a serious escalation.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran early Wednesday, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas said, describing the attack as a “severe escalation” that will not achieve its goals.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed Haniyeh's death, hours after he attended a swearing-in ceremony for the country's new president, and said it was investigating.
“Ismail Haniyeh's residence in Tehran was attacked early this morning, killing him and one of his bodyguards. The cause is being investigated and will be announced soon,” the Revolutionary Guard said.
There was no immediate comment from Israeli authorities.
The news, which came less than 24 hours after Israel claimed to have killed the Hezbollah commander it said was behind a deadly attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, appears to set back the chances of an imminent ceasefire deal in Gaza.
“This assassination by the Israeli occupation of brother Haniyeh is a serious escalation aimed at breaking the will of Hamas,” said senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri. Reuters.
He said Hamas will continue on the path it is following, adding: “We are confident of victory.”
Meanwhile, another senior Hamas official, Moussa Abu Marzouk, said Haniyeh's killing was a “cowardly act that will not go unpunished.”
Haniyeh, who is normally based in Qatar, has been the face of the Palestinian group's international diplomacy as the war sparked by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7 has ravaged Gaza, where three of his sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Appointed to Hamas' top post in 2017, Haniyeh has moved between Turkey and the Qatari capital Doha, bypassing travel restrictions from the blockaded Gaza Strip, allowing him to act as a negotiator in ceasefire talks or speak with Hamas ally Iran.
