Updated August 01, 2024 at 03:20 AM ET
TEL AVIV, Israel 鈥� The Palestinian militant group Hamas accused Israel of killing its top political leader Ismail Haniyeh in an airstrike in Iran on Wednesday and called his death 鈥渁 dangerous event鈥� that would have repercussions across the Middle East. Haniyeh was in Tehran for the inauguration ceremony of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Israeli officials said they had "no comment" when asked about the Tehran attack and have not taken responsibility for it, but previously had vowed to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders after the militant group led a surprise Oct. 7 attack that killed more than 1,200 people in Israel and led to the current war in Gaza.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. was not aware of or involved in the killing.
"This is something we were not aware of or involved in. It's very hard to speculate," Blinken said in an interview with Channel News Asia during a visit to Singapore.
The White House has no independent confirmation and cannot confirm reports that Israel had killed Haniyeh in Tehran, as Hamas claimed, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters in Washington.
Haniyeh's killing threatens to escalate tensions across the Middle East. It also came just hours after Israel said it had killed a top commander of the Lebanese militant group in an airstrike in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
In a speech on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israelis, 鈥淐hallenging days are ahead.鈥� He added that Israel was prepared for any threat and scenario.
Iran's president called Haniyeh's killing a "cowardly action" and said that Iran would defend its territorial integrity. In a statement on X, Iran鈥檚 Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said there would be a 鈥渉arsh punishment鈥� for the assassination.
Qatar鈥檚 Foreign Ministry Haniyeh鈥檚 death and said it represented a 鈥渄angerous escalation鈥� in the conflict. Qatar had long hosted Haniyeh in a U.S.-backed arrangement, and the Gulf Arab country is a key mediator in efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza between Hamas and Israel.
Qatar鈥檚 prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani, said after Haniyeh鈥檚 killing that political assassinations and the continued targeting of Palestinian civilians in Gaza undermine mediation efforts when 鈥渙ne party assassinates the negotiator on the other side.鈥�
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads the Palestinian Authority, long a rival to Hamas, condemned Haniyeh鈥檚 killing as cowardly and dangerous, echoing reactions from Iran-backed groups in the region. Turkey and Jordan also condemned the killing, as did Russia and China.
Hamas said that Haniyeh would receive two funerals 鈥� one on Thursday in Tehran, followed by a second funeral and burial in Doha, Qatar, on Friday.
New hurdles to cease-fire prospects
Haniyeh's death is also likely to hamper ongoing cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas. He was the principal point of contact for Hamas in talks brokered by Egypt and Qatar.
In a press conference from Gaza, Hamas Deputy Chairman in the Gaza Strip Khalil al-Hayya implied that talks would be stalled after the killing, saying, 鈥淭here is no talk of negotiations in the shadow of blood.鈥� But he stressed that Hamas鈥� goals for the negotiations had not changed, saying that Hamas 鈥渉as set a clear path regarding the negotiations and the absence of one leader or another does not divert the movement's compass from its goals."
Netanyahu said Wednesday that for months people have been urging him to end the war. 鈥淚 did not succumb to those voices then, and I will not succumb to them today either," he said.
But especially for Palestinians in Gaza and for family members of hostages in Gaza, a cease-fire deal is the main concern. More than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in nearly 11 months of war 鈥� and on Wednesday alone, at least 45 more were killed, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health.
One hundred fifteen hostages remain in Gaza, more than 40 of whom are believed to be dead. In a statement on Wednesday, a group representing many of the hostages鈥� families said, 鈥淭ime is of the essence, and we implore the Israeli government and global leaders to decisively advance negotiations. This is the time for a deal.鈥�
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose 23-year-old son Hersh in being held captive in Gaza, says the news of Haniyeh鈥檚 killing had her worried.
鈥淲e were obviously thinking, perhaps this is not good for these negotiations that we were so hoping would get our region to a better place,鈥� Goldberg-Polin told NPR from Jerusalem. 鈥淏ecause, it's not just the 115 hostage families, but also there are hundreds of thousands of innocent people in Gaza who are suffering horribly. So our entire region has this surplus of devastation and misery, and anything that's going to prolong that is, is, you know, a gut punch.鈥�
Several airlines suspend flights to Tel Aviv
United Airlines and Delta Airlines announced suspensions of flights to Israel starting Wednesday evening amidst rising tensions in the region. In a statement to NPR, a United Airlines spokesperson confirmed the airline had suspended its daily flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Tel Aviv, citing 鈥渟ecurity reasons鈥� as the airline monitored the situation.
Delta Airlines, meanwhile, it was pausing its service between New York鈥檚 JFK airport and Tel Aviv through at least Friday. The airline said it would issue travel waivers to all customers who booked their flights to or from Tel Aviv before August 14.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of State also a new travel advisory urging people to reconsider travel to Israel, especially in the country鈥檚 north within 2.5 miles of the Lebanese and Syrian borders.
Palestinian reaction to Haniyeh's death
Palestinians in Gaza said they woke up to the announcement and were devastated.
鈥淭his was the most difficult news I have ever received in my 70 years alive,鈥� said Um Yusuf, who was sitting at the entrance of her shelter in the southern Gaza city of Zuweida when she heard the news of Haniyeh鈥檚 death on a radio channel on her mobile phone.
鈥淸Haniyeh] was a dove of peace ... he was a mature man, loved everyone鈥nd worked for the benefit of all of the Palestinian people.鈥�
Ismail al-Ta鈥檙wai, another Gaza resident sheltering in Zuweida, said that Haniyeh鈥檚 death had 鈥渃rossed all its limits.鈥�
鈥淸Haniyeh] extended his arm for all peaceful negotiations, and aimed to solve the differences between the two countries. But [Israel] has managed to kill all possible paths to peace.鈥�
In the West Bank鈥檚 largest city, Ramallah, resident Bahaa鈥� Zeit said he was saddened by the news, but shocked that Iran wasn鈥檛 able to do more to protect Haniyeh.
"How could Israel break through Iran鈥檚 skies and security and let a guest of their country get assassinated?" Zeit said.
Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri that Israel will not succeed in breaking the will of the Palestinian people and that Hamas is an ideology that will not fade.
鈥淭his occupation must realize that it opened fire on itself and not on Ismail Haniyeh,鈥� Abu Zuhri said. 鈥淗amas grows with every drop of blood shed for the freedom of this pure land. The blood of leaders is not purer than the blood of the children of our people.鈥�
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin urged for calm, saying he was hopeful that even with the events of the past 24 hours, Israel would find a diplomatic solution.
"I don't think war is inevitable," Austin said. "I maintain that. I think there's always room and opportunity for diplomacy, and I'd like to see parties pursue those opportunities."
Israel confirms senior Hezbollah commander killed in separate airstrike
Haniyeh's death came just hours after Israel announced it had killed a top commander of the Lebanese militant group , Fuad Shukr "Sayyid Muhsan," in an airstrike in the Lebanese capital of Beirut in retaliation for the Saturday killing of 12 children in a rocket attack on Majdal Shams in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights.
Hezbollah, like Hamas, is backed by Iran.
Israel blamed Hezbollah for the attack. Hezbollah, a , has denied it was involved.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Hezbollah said Shukr was in the building during the time of the attack but did not confirm his death. Israel did not say how it determined the Hezbollah commander was killed or provide evidence of his death.
Who was Ismail Haniyeh?
Haniyeh, 62, grew up in Gaza and was imprisoned in Israel during the first Palestinian uprising of the 1980s.
Following his release, he rose through the ranks of Hamas and survived an Israeli assassination attempt during the second Palestinian uprising in 2003.
He was Hamas鈥� top figure in Gaza when the militant group took control of the territory in 2007 and rose to become the head leader of the group in 2017. In 2018, the U.S. State Department designated Haniyeh as a terrorist. In recent years, he was based in Qatar鈥檚 capital Doha.
During his tenure, Hamas and Israel fought five wars, including the current conflict. Israeli military strikes in Gaza killed several of his sons and his sister this year.
It is unclear how much Haniyeh, based in Qatar, was aware of Hamas鈥� plans to attack Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7. But Haniyeh had been involved in the high-level negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange with Israel.
In May, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said he was seeking arrest warrants for Haniyeh and two other senior Hamas officials, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, including rape, murder and hostage-taking during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. The prosecutor also seeks arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel鈥檚 defense minister.
Of Hamas鈥� top four leaders, only one may still be alive today: Hamas鈥� Gaza leader .
In January, Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri was killed in a presumed Israeli strike in Lebanon.
This month, Israel said it killed Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas鈥� military wing in Gaza, in an airstrike that killed scores of other Palestinians, though his fate is still unknown. Hamas has not commented on whether he is alive or dead.
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