At the Iranian parliament in Tehran on Tuesday, Ismail Haniyeh was encircled by Iranian parliamentarians.

July 31, CAIRO (Reuters) The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas announced on Wednesday that its leader, Ismail Haniyeh,

had been slain in Iran’s early hours, raising concerns about a larger escalation in a region already unsettled by Israel’s assault in Gaza and a deepening conflict in Lebanon.

Shortly after attending the inauguration of the nation’s new president, Haniyeh was confirmed dead by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who also declared that an investigation, was underway.

On Wednesday, President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran stated that it would, Iranian media reported, ‘defend its territorial integrity, dignity, honor, and pride, and will make the terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly act’ of killing Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, in Tehran.

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Israel remained silent for the time being. Although it hadn’t released any new security directives for civilians, the Israeli military claimed to be performing a situational assessment.

At noon (0900 GMT), security officials were scheduled to have a consultation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Although Washington will strive to reduce tensions, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the country would support Israel in the event of an attack.

‘In my opinion, war is not inevitable. That’s what I still believe. ‘I believe that diplomacy is always possible and should be pursued,’ he said to reporters at a trip to the Philippines.

The announcement seems to hinder the likelihood of an immediate truce in Gaza, given it was made less than a day after Israel declared it had killed the Hezbollah commander it believed was responsible for a fatal attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

According to senior Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri, ‘this assassination by the Israeli occupation of Brother Haniyeh is a grave escalation that aims to break the will of Hamas,’ Reuters was told.

‘We are confident of victory,’ he stated, indicating that Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian party that dominated Gaza, would carry on along its current course.

As a risky escalation of the violence, Haniyeh’s execution was denounced by Qatar, which has been mediating talks to stop the bloodshed in Gaza. China and Russia have furthermore criticized the murderous act.

A source with knowledge of the issue claimed that Iran’s top security committee convened to determine Iran’s response to the death in the Iranian capital of Haniyeh, a close ally of Tehran.

Mahmoud Abbas, the president of Palestine, denounced Haniyeh’s murder, and Palestinian factions in the occupied West Bank demanded widespread protests and a general strike.

ADVANCED FACE OF HAMAS

The killing of Haniyeh occurs at a time when Israel’s operation in Gaza is entering its tenth month and there is no indication that it will stop.

The battle has shaken the Middle East and increased the likelihood that it will intensify into a more significant regional conflict.

The relatives of the Israeli hostages who are still being held in Gaza are furious with Netanyahu’s administration, and pressure from other countries is growing. discussions mediated by Qatar and Egypt for a ceasefire seem to have broken down.

The possibility of a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has also increased in the wake of the attack in the Golan Heights on Saturday that claimed the lives of twelve children in a Druze community and the subsequent assassination of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.

Although Shukr was inside the building where the Israeli strike occurred, Hezbollah has not yet confirmed his death.

With his typical base of operations in Qatar, Haniyeh has represented the Palestinian group internationally during the raging Gaza war that was sparked by the attack on Israel on October 7 and spearheaded by Hamas. An Israeli airstrike claimed the lives of three of his boys.

The office of the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court asked When it filed a similar request against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it also issued an arrest warrant for him on charges of war crimes.

Since being appointed to the top position in Hamas in 2017, he has traveled back and forth between Turkey and Doha, the capital of Qatar, to avoid the travel restrictions imposed on the blockaded Gaza Strip.

This has made it possible for him to communicate with Iran, an ally of Hamas, and to negotiate a cease-fire.

Saleh Al-Arouri, his deputy, was slain by Israel earlier this year. With his passing, Zaher Jabarin, the leader of Hamas in the West Bank, and Yehya Al-Sinwar,

the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the mastermind of the attack on Israel on October 7, remain in their positions but are in hiding.

Onward, Khaled Meshaal, the group’s former leader, has surfaced as a possible replacement for Hamas’ public face, but it’s unclear how the succession will be managed.

On October 7, militants led by Hamas breached security barriers surrounding Gaza and launched a catastrophic onslaught on Israeli villages nearby,

killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 250 hostages into Gaza, according to Israeli estimates. ‘This signified the beginning of the battle.’

Israel responded by launching a relentless ground and air offensive in the densely populated coastal enclave that has left over 2 million people facing a dire humanitarian catastrophe and killed health officials in Gaza said the number is over 39,400.

Parisa Hafezi reported from Dubai, with additional reporting from Ahmed Tolba and Enas Alashray in Cairo; James Mackenzie wrote the article, Stephen Coates edited it, and Michael Perry, together with Sharon Singleton

Ismail Haniyeh