Haniyeh’s Death Big Blow for Hamas, Predecessor Could Succeed Him, Say Experts
Haniyeh’s death is a big blow for Hamas, and the assassination sends a message to not only Hamas, but Israel’s enemies in general, experts say.
“Haniyeh's demise signifies the end to impunity and tacit acceptance and legitimation of the Hamas leadership," said foreign affairs expert and human rights attorney Irina Tsukerman.
She said the strike on Haniyeh in Tehran "sends a warning signal that no one is safe from justice, that Iran cannot protect its vassals even inside its borders, and that the same fate awaits anyone, no matter how high up, rich, or 'normalized' who continues presenting a threat to Israel.”
Hudson Institute’s Michael Doran said “Israel's decision to kill Haniyeh in Iran was both a message to Tehran and to the United States, which for the last two months has brought significant pressure to bear on the Netanyahu government to stop fighting and accept a cease-fire.”
Both Doran and Tsukerman told The Epoch Times they expect Haniyeh to be succeeded by his predecessor, Khaled Mashal.
Tsukerman said Mashal “once survived a botched assassination attempt by Hamas; since then he only grew in value as a target.”
US State Department Issues ‘Do Not Travel’ Advisory for Lebanon
The U.S. State Department escalated its Lebanon travel advisory on Wednesday from a Level 3 “Reconsider Travel” status to a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” notice, citing rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
The advisory states Americans already in Lebanon should depart as soon as possible. It further warns that those Americans choosing to remain should be aware of the risk of potential conflict and should be prepared to shelter in place should conditions worsen.
Israel and Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, have traded fire across the Israel–Lebanon border since October 2023.
Tensions have grown since Israel killed senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in an airstrike in southern Beirut on Tuesday.
Both Israel and the United States have said Hezbollah was responsible for the deadly July 27 blast in Majdal Shams, in the Golan Heights. The Israeli government said Shukr played a role in the deadly blast, in which 12 children were killed and dozens more were wounded.
Hezbollah denied responsibility for the Majdal Shams attack.
National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby speaks during a daily press briefing at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on July 31, 2024. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
White House: Escalation Not Imminent
John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, said that there are "no signs that an escalation is imminent" in the aftermath of Haniyeh’s death.
However, he said that the Biden administration is "obviously concerned" about an escalation.
Iran has vowed to retaliate.
"The response to an assassination will indeed be special operations—harder and intended to instill deep regret in the perpetrator,” posted Iran’s mission to the United Nations on X.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned against any retaliation against Israel, and avoided addressing Haniyeh’s death.
He said that Israel "will exact a heavy price from any aggression against us on any front.”
President Joe Biden was briefed on reports coming out of the Middle East, according to Kirby.
Kirby also said that it is “too soon to know” what impact Haniyeh’s death will have on negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. He noted that the administration is in touch with Qatar and Egypt, which have acted as intermediaries for the United States and Israel in dealing with Hamas.
Hezbollah Confirms Fuad Shukr Killed in Beirut Strike
Hezbollah confirmed on Wednesday that its senior commander, Fuad Shukr, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut a day earlier.
Lebanese authorities had been searching through the rubble of the targeted residential building since the Tuesday airstrike.
Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, said its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, will speak at Shukr’s funeral procession on Aug. 1.
Lebanon’s public health ministry reported that two women and two children were killed in the Tuesday blast that killed Shukr.
The United States had considered Shukr to be a commander that played a key role in the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings in which 241 U.S. military personnel were killed.
Israel said Shukr was also responsible for the deadly July 27 blast in Majdal Shams, in the Golan Heights in Israel. Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the blast, in which 12 children were killed and dozens more were wounded.
Netanyahu Gives Address Following Strikes on Hamas, Hezbollah Leaders, Does Not Mention Haniyeh Killing
In a televised address on Wednesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Israel would “exact a heavy price from any aggression against us on any front.”
“There are challenging days ahead of us,” he added.
The televised address represented Netanyahu’s first direct public comments following the strikes targeting Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Netanyahu reiterated that Israeli forces were behind the strike targeting Shukr.
He did not mention the strike that killed Haniyeh.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to reporters alongside Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, on July 24, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
UN Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting
The United Nations Security Council announced it will convene an emergency meeting at 4 p.m. EST on Wednesday to address the escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Iranian Ambassador to the U.N. Amir Saeid Iravani requested an emergency Security Council meeting earlier on Wednesday, while insisting both Israel and the United States bear responsibility for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Iravani called for the Security Council to condemn Haniyeh’s assassination and “take immediate action to ensure accountability” for both the assassination and an Israeli strike in Beirut targeting Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr on July 30.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said the airstrikes in Tehran and Beirut were “a dangerous escalation,” Guterres spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said on Wednesday.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends the 31st ASEAN Regional Forum at the 57th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, on July 27, 2024. (Sai Aung Main/AFP via Getty Images)
Blinken Says US Did Not Know in Advance
In an interview with Channel News Asia, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States was “not aware of or involved in” the strike taking out Haniyeh.
“The best way to bring the temperature down everywhere, put us on a better path, is through a cease-fire in Gaza,” he said.
The secretary also talked with Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi on July 31 regarding the latest events in the Middle East, according to a readout by the State Department.
Blinken “discussed the urgency of efforts to reach a cease-fire to the conflict in Gaza that would secure the release of hostages, allow a surge of humanitarian assistance, and create the conditions for broader stability.” He reiterated the importance of preventing further escalation of conflict.
Peace Intermediaries Qatar and Egypt Condemn Haniyeh Assassination
The government of Qatar, which has acted as an intermediary for cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, condemned the airstrike that killed Haniyeh in Tehran.
“Political assassinations & continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?” Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani wrote in a social media post on Wednesday.
“Peace needs serious partners & a global stance against the disregard for human life,” he said.
Egypt, another partner in the Israel–Hamas cease-fire talks, also raised concerns about Haniyeh’s assassination, warning of consequences.
“Egypt considered that the regional escalation, coinciding with the lack of progress in the cease-fire negotiations in Gaza, further complicates the situation and indicates an absence of Israeli political will for de-escalation,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a Wednesday press statement.
CCP Joins in Condemning Haniyeh Assassination
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) joined in condemning the strike that killed Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a Wednesday press conference that the CCP is concerned “the incident may plunge the region into greater turmoil.”
The spokesperson for the regime reiterated the CCP’s prior calls for a “comprehensive and permanent cease-fire in Gaza” and urged all sides to avoid escalating the ongoing conflict.
Russia Says Haniyeh Assassination ‘Fraught With Consequences’
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning Haniyeh’s killing.
“It is obvious that those who organised this political assassination understood that these actions were fraught with dangerous consequences for the entire region,” the Russian Foreign Ministry statement read.
In particular, the Russian Foreign Ministry predicted the strike will undermine the ongoing negotiations to reach a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
“Russia reiterates its insistent calls on all the parties involved to exercise restraint and avoid any steps that could dramatically worsen the security situation in the region, leading to a large-scale military confrontation,” the statement added.
Turkish President Condemns Assassination
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Haniyeh’s killing as a “treacherous assassination.”
In a Wednesday press statement, the Turkish president said Haniyeh’s killing was meant to disrupt the Palestinian cause and intimidate the Palestinian people.
Erdogan further urged the Islamic world to take a stronger stance to apply pressure for an end to the acts “perpetrated by Israel in our region.”
Turkey is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance alongside the United States, which is closely allied with Israel.
The U.S. government regards Turkey as a key NATO ally and a critical partner in the Middle East and seeks to keep Turkey tied into the Euro-Atlantic community.
Turkish–Israeli relations have soured over the course of the war against Hamas, and Erdogan has urged an end to the bloodshed.
Who Was Ismail Haniyeh?
Ismail Haniyeh was the political director of Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, from 2017 through to his death on July 31. He succeeded Khaled Mashal, who was in the position between 1996 and 2017, when he stepped down.
Haniyeh was killed in Tehran in what is believed to be an Israeli strike. He was in Iran for the inauguration of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Haniyeh was 62 years old.
He was born in 1962 in a refugee camp in Gaza. He served multiple stints behind bars in Israel before being exiled to Lebanon. He made his way back to Gaza and rose through the ranks of Hamas, which took over Gaza in 2007 after winning the 2006 election that took place a year after Israel withdrew from Gaza.
Haniyeh had expressed hostility toward Israel.
“We promise you that we will not cede a single part of Palestine, we will not cede Jerusalem, we will continue to fight and we will not lay down our arms,” he said several years ago in Tunisia.
Pentagon Talks With Israeli Counterpart
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin talked with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, according to a Pentagon statement.
The two talked about Israel’s strike in Lebanon on July 30 that reportedly killed Hezbollah’s second-in-command, Fuad Shukr, who was believed to be responsible for the strike on a soccer field in Israel’s north over the weekend that killed 12 people.
Israel’s Defense Ministry confirmed the call and said that Gallant talked about what the ministry called the Jewish state’s “precise operation” that apparently took out Shukr.
Haniyeh Killed in Rocket Strike, Hamas Representative Says
Taher Al-Nunu, a spokesman for Haniyeh, said the blast that killed the Hamas political leader came from a direct missile impact on the room of the residence he was staying in.
Al-Nunu described the missile strike as a “grave crime” and vowed there would be a proportional response.
Iran Vows to Respond
Iranian leaders signaled they intend to retaliate against Haniyeh’s death on their soil.
In a statement carried by the official Iranian state media outlet, IRNA, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei attributed the attack to “Zionist” actors and said the killing would invite a “harsh” response.
“The criminal and terrorist Zionist regime martyred our beloved guest inside our house and made us mournful, but it paved the way for a harsh punishment to be imposed on it,” Khamenei said.
What We Know So Far
- Haniyeh attended the inauguration of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
- Haniyeh's death occurred on the same day the Israeli military reported killing Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in an airstrike in Beirut.
- Haniyeh took over Hamas' political operations in 2017. He was living a life of luxury in Qatar alongside his predecessor, Khaled Mashal. Haniyeh was under U.S. sanctions.
- No one has officially claimed responsibility for Haniyeh’s death. Israel has not commented on the assassination.
- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States was not aware of or involved in the killing.
- Haniyeh said three of his sons and four of his grandchildren were killed in Gaza in April.
What We Know So Far
- Haniyeh attended the inauguration of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
- Haniyeh's death occurred on the same day the Israeli military reported killing Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in an airstrike in Beirut.
- Haniyeh took over Hamas' political operations in 2017. He was living a life of luxury in Qatar alongside his predecessor, Khaled Mashal. Haniyeh was under U.S. sanctions.
- No one has officially claimed responsibility for Haniyeh’s death. Israel has not commented on the assassination.
- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States was not aware of or involved in the killing.
- Haniyeh said three of his sons and four of his grandchildren were killed in Gaza in April.
Hamas Leader Haniyeh Killed in Tehran, Iran Says
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed while in Tehran, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early July 31.No one immediately claimed responsibility for the killings, but Hamas blamed Israel for the attack, saying Haniyeh was killed during an airstrike on his residence in Tehran. Iran’s state media also blamed Israel for the attack.
Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, was in Tehran for the swearing-in of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhaleh was also in Tehran for the inauguration.
The IRGC said in a statement that the incident is under investigation, state media reported.
Israel has been fighting Hamas in Gaza since the terrorist group launched an attack on border cities in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 civilians and military members as hostages.
Haniyeh, who assumed the leadership position in 2017, had been living in Qatar along with other Hamas leaders. He had played a major part in building up Hamas’s fighting capacity, in part by strengthening ties with Iran. Since Haniyeh’s departure from Gaza, Yahya Sinwar has been the Hamas chief in the Gaza Strip.
Previously, three of Haniyeh’s sons were killed on April 10 in an Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip.
While in Iran for the swearing-in ceremony on July 30, Haniyeh had met with the new president, as well as Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Pezeshkian told Haniyeh that Iran will continue to offer its support “with ever more strength and power.”
Pezeshkian is replacing the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash incident in May in northern Iran.
Two-Front War
In response to an attack in Israel’s Golan Heights on July 27 that killed 12 children, Israel on July 30 struck a Hezbollah stronghold near Beirut, killing a commander that it says was responsible for the Golan Heights blast. The July 30 attack on Beirut also killed three others.Israel’s fight against Iran-backed Hezbollah has intensified in recent weeks, while it has been fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed to retaliate against Hezbollah for its July 27 attack.
Prior to the soccer field attack by Hezbollah, the two sides had been targeting each other with rockets.
Netanyahu visited Washington last week, addressing a joint session of the U.S. Congress on July 24 to ask for the United States to “stand together” with Israel.
The Associated Press, Reuters, and Dan Berger contributed to this report.
