Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in Israeli airstrike in Tehran

Hamas has alleged that Mujahid Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the movement, was killed in a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran after participating in the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian president.

Iranian state television also reported Haniyeh’s death, noting that an investigation into the assassination is ongoing and that the results will be announced soon.

No immediate announcement has been made by Israel on the incident.

Who was Ismail Haniyya?

Ismail Haniyya, the head of Hamas's political bureau and prime minister of the 10th government of the Palestinian Authority, was nicknamed Abu-al-Abd. Haniyya was born in a Palestinian refugee camp.

Ismail Haniyya was imprisoned by Israel for 3 years in 1989. After this, Haniyya was deported to Marj-al-Zuhur along with many Hamas leaders. Marj-al-Zuhur is a no-man's land between Israel and Lebanon, where Haniyya stayed for 1 year.

Haniyya returned to Gaza after the completion of his exile. After this, Haniyya was appointed head of the office of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of the Hamas movement, in 1997.

On 16 February 2006, Hamas named him the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority. In the year 2006 itself, on 20 February, Haniyya was also appointed prime minister. One year later, Palestinian National Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Haniyya from her post.

On 6 May 2017, Haniyya was elected chairman of Hamas' political bureau. After this, the US State Department declared Haniyya a terrorist in 2018.