Assassination of Ismail Haniyeh
| Assassination of Ismail Haniyeh | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Gaza war and the 2024 Iran–Israel conflict | |
Haniyeh (left) meeting with the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei (right) hours before his death | |
| Location | Tehran, Iran |
| Coordinates | 35°49′10″N 51°24′57″E / 35.81944°N 51.41583°E |
| Date | 31 July 2024 ~2:00 a.m. (IRST) |
| Target | Ismail Haniyeh X |
Attack type | Explosion or projectile attack (disputed) |
| Deaths | Ismail Haniyeh Wassim Abu Shaaban |
| Perpetrator | Israel |
On 31 July 2024, Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was assassinated along with his personal bodyguard in the Iranian capital Tehran by an Israeli attack. Haniyeh was killed in his accommodation in a military-run guesthouse after attending the inauguration ceremony for Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian. Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, condemned this assassination and said that Haniyeh's "blood will never be wasted".
The cause of Haniyeh's death is under investigation by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Differing reports emerged as to how he was killed, ranging from a missile strike to a remotely detonated explosive device previously hidden in his bedroom at the IRGC-run guesthouse. According to analysts, the assassination exposed critical security flaws. The investigation has led to the arrest of over two dozen individuals, including senior intelligence and military officials, as well as staff from the guesthouse.
Haniyeh was a prominent figure within Hamas since the organization's founding in 1987. He previously served as the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority and as Hamas Chief in the Gaza Strip. In 2017, he was elected head of the Hamas Political Bureau. Haniyeh was the highest-ranking Hamas political leader killed since the start of the Gaza war.