Israeli PM declares Hamas leaders as targets for elimination

Like other prominent Hamas figures, Ismail Haniyeh lived under constant threat of assassination.

His death in Tehran, reportedly resulting from a missile strike, represents the latest high-profile Israeli operation against its adversaries globally, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

Following Hamas's devastating attack on October 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Hamas leaders, including those based outside the Gaza Strip, were "marked for death."

The timing and location of Haniyeh’s assassination could further destabilize a conflict that is already on the brink of escalating into a regional war. The complexities of airstrikes and targeted killings introduce risks of missteps, raising the stakes of the ongoing conflict.

The elimination of the head of Hamas’s political bureau is seen as a significant morale boost for Israel, benefiting the embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and delivering a severe setback to Hamas. Despite nearly 10 months of intense fighting in Gaza, key Hamas figures like Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 attack, remain elusive, and the effectiveness of a recent airstrike targeting Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif is still uncertain.

Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk confirmed that Ismail Haniyeh was killed while visiting Tehran for the inauguration of Iran's new president. Marzouk condemned the assassination as a “grave escalation” and warned of retaliation, though Hamas’s ability to respond is significantly weakened after nearly a year of intense conflict with Israeli forces in Gaza.

The assassination may trigger a response from Hamas’s allies, potentially escalating the conflict into a broader regional war involving Israel, Iran, and its proxies. Haniyeh's death followed Israel’s claim of having killed a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut, heightening the region's tension. The recent airstrike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which resulted in the deaths of 12 children, has further strained relations. Hezbollah has denied involvement in the Golan Heights attack, adding to the uncertainty.

Iran, unable to protect a key ally on its own soil, faces pressure to respond. An Iranian spokesperson for the supreme national security council vowed early on July 31 that the perpetrators of the Tehran attack would face retaliation, as reported by Lebanese network Al-Mayadeen.

Iranian state television has warned that the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh will prompt retaliation from the Shia militias and proxies supported by Iran across the Middle East. These groups, including Yemen’s Houthis, have already targeted Israeli and US assets in the region over the past nine months, ostensibly to support Hamas's efforts.