Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, has been reported killed in Tehran, the capital of Iran. His death has been confirmed through separate statements from the Palestinian group that governs the Gaza Strip, as well as from Iran’s elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Revolutionsgarden).
Reactions to Haniyeh’s death have been strong and varied. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas strongly condemned the killing, labeling it “a cowardly act” in a statement released by the official news agency Wafa. He also urged Palestinians to unite and “be patient and steadfast in the face of the Israeli occupation.”
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement asserting that Haniyeh’s assassination “once again demonstrates that Israel’s Netanyahu government has no intention of achieving peace.” They warned that the region would face much greater conflicts if the international community does not intervene to stop Israel.