Beheaded Hamas: Who was Ismail Haniyeh and why he was Israel's enemy
Photo: one of the Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh (Getty Images)
The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has lost one of its top leaders. On the morning of July 31, Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran after he attended the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Contents
- What we know about the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh
- Who was Haniyeh and why he was an enemy of Israel
- World reaction and Iran threats
What we know about the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh
According to Hamas, 61-year-old Haniyeh was killed in an air strike after he participated in the inauguration of the new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Pezeshkian won a snap election following the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a plane crash in May 2024.
One of Haniyeh's bodyguards was also killed. The Fars news agency, affiliated with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that Haniyeh was staying at a residence for veterans in northern Tehran and was killed by an “air-launched guided projectile.” The missile hit the house where he was staying around 2 a.m. local time.
Iranian authorities promised to provide further details later. According to Israeli media, the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, was also in the same building but on a different floor. He was not the target of the attack and was not injured.
Iran reacted with a meeting of the Supreme National Security Council. According to Reuters, “retaliatory measures” will be discussed. Another Hamas leader, Mousa Abu Marzook, said it was “a cowardly act that will not go unpunished.”
As expected, Hamas and Tehran blamed Israel for the murder. The Israeli side has not officially commented on the incident.
“Israel’s military said it does not respond to reports in foreign media, though senior officials have previously vowed to eliminate Hamas and its leadership in response to the group’s October 7 attack on Israel. It later said it was 'conducting a situational assessment',” CNN writes, citing an Israeli Defense Forces representative.
Haniyeh will reportedly be buried in Qatar. This country is a key financial sponsor and ally of Hamas terrorists. Haniyeh lived in the Qatari capital of Doha since 2016.
Who was Haniyeh and why he was an enemy of Israel
Ismail Abdel Salam Ahmed Haniyeh was born in the Al-Shati refugee camp in the Gaza Strip to a family of Palestinian refugees from Ashkelon. After graduating from the Islamic University of Gaza, he joined Hamas.
For his participation in the movement's activities, he spent 18 days in an Israeli prison in 1987, 6 months in 1988, and three years in 1989. In 1997, he became one of the closest aides to Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. From 1999 to 2004, he served as Chief of Staff.
In the mid-2000s, he survived attacks on a convoy and a rocket attack on his home. He headed the Hamas campaign in the elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council. After winning, he became prime minister but was removed from office after disagreements with the Fatah party, which culminated in the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2007.
“We will not give up any part of Palestine, we will not give up Jerusalem, we will continue to fight and we will not lay down our arms,” he said in 2012.
Haniyeh was the leader of Hamas until 2017 when he was replaced by Yahya Sinwar. Since 2021, he has been the head of the political wing, but for the past few years, he has lived in exile in Qatar.
The US State Department labeled him a terrorist in 2018. At the time, Washington stated that Haniyeh was “a supporter of armed struggle, including against civilians.” And that Hamas was responsible for the deaths of 17 Americans in terrorist attacks.
Haniyeh was considered one of Israel's main enemies. After the attack on October 7, 2023, Israel announced that it would eliminate him and other Hamas leaders.
As a result of the October 7 attack, about 1,200 Israelis were killed and about 250 more were taken hostage. Some of them are still in captivity. According to The Times of Israel, in the winter Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered to develop a plan to eliminate Hamas leaders abroad - in Türkiye, Qatar, and other countries.
During the Swords of Iron War Haniyeh lost several of his closest family members. On April 10, an Israeli aircraft hit a car carrying his three sons. According to Hamas, four of his grandchildren were killed at the same time. In total, he has reportedly lost 60 relatives since the beginning of the war.
Haniyeh's elimination will have much impact, as he was one of the key mediators in the hostage negotiations, CNN writes.
So far, the only Israeli official to comment on the elimination of the Hamas leader is Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichay Eliyahu.
“Haniyeh's death makes the world a little better,” he said on X.
World reaction and Iran threats
US
The White House has responded to the elimination. They claim to have seen reports of Haniyeh’s death. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued a statement saying that Israel will do whatever is necessary to defend itself as it has demonstrated on numerous occasions.
He added that the US had committed to help Israel defend itself, whatever it takes.
China
Official Beijing condemned the attack. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that his country “opposes and condemns all killings and acts of violence.”
“We are deeply concerned about the potential increase in instability in the region after this incident,” the official added.
Türkiye
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reacted to the incident.
“It has once again demonstrated that the Netanyahu government has no intention of seeking peace. If the international community does not take action to stop Israel, our region will face much more serious conflicts,” the ministry said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the attack. In his opinion, it was a “treacherous murder” and a “despicable act.” He added that Ankara would continue to “support the Palestinian people.”
Iran
Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said he was mourning the “brave leader of the Palestinian resistance.” According to him, Iran “will defend its territorial integrity and honor and would make the terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly action.”
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, “We consider it our duty to ask for the blood of our dear guest.”
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps promised a “tough response” to the assassination of Hamas's political chief.
“Crossing red lines has always been costly for our enemies,” the IRGC added.
Haniyeh died only a few hours after the elimination of a high-ranking Hezbollah commander, Fuad Shukr, in Beirut, Lebanon. The assassination of Shukr was officially confirmed by the Israeli army.
Sources: Fars news, Reuters, The Times of Israel, Bild, Associated Press, CNN, The Guardian, and the X account of Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichay Eliyahu.
