Live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in Iran

Palestinians took to the streets of Nablus in the occupied West Bank today following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.In the city of Ramallah, crowds were also seen chanting in the street.

The U.S. was “not aware of or involved in” the strike that killed Haniyeh, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today.

Speaking with Channel News Asia in Singapore, Blinken said it was “imperative” to get a cease-fire in Gaza. He added that it was “vitally important” to help Palestinians in Gaza and “to get all hostages home including a number of Americans.”

“One of the things that we’ve been focused on is trying to make sure that the conflict that occurred in Gaza doesn’t escalate. We’re going to continue to do that as well,” he added.

While Israeli authorities have not commented on the attack that killed Haniyeh, the Israel Defense Forces said there were “no changes in the Home Front Command defensive guidelines.”

“The IDF is currently conducting a situational assessment,” it said this morning. “If any changes will be made, an update will be released,” it added.

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has questioned the wisdom of killing a negotiator in the Gaza cease-fire and hostage release talks.

“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?” he said in a post on X, which appeared to suggest that Israel was behind the strike.

“Peace needs serious partners,” he added.

Achieving a permanent cease-fire deal in Gaza remains a top priority, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in response to a question at a forum in Singapore about the potential impact of Haniyeh’s death on negotiations between Hamas and Israel.

“Nothing takes away from the importance of getting to the cease-fire,” he said. “I am not gonna speculate on what impact any one event might have on that.”

“What I do know is the enduring imperative of getting a cease-fire,” he added.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has warned of “harsh punishment” to those behind Haniyeh’s death in a post on X.

Blaming Israel for the attack, he said they “assassinated our dear guest, the martyr Ismail Haniyeh, in our home.” Haniyeh’s death “broke our hearts, but it also prepared a harsh punishment for itself,” he added.

The attack is expected to draw a strong response from Iran. When an airstrike on a compound at the Iranian Embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus killed senior Iranian commanders in April, Iran responded by firing hundreds of rockets and drones toward Israel.

Russia has condemned Haniyeh’s killing, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters, “such actions are directed against attempts to bring peace to the region.”

Beijing also condemned the assassination and called for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.

“We are deeply concerned that this event might lead to further regional instability,” state media CCTV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian as saying today.

Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has said his country “defend its territorial integrity and honor,” in the wake of Haniyeh’s assassination in his country’s capital, Tehran.

Pezeshkian said Iran would “make the terrorist invaders regret their cowardly actions,” in remarks reported by state news agency IRNA.

The Hamas leader was killed after attending Pezeshkian’s inauguration.

Qatar and Turkey, countries where Haniyeh resided temporarily after leaving Gaza in 2017, have condemned his assassination.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was “heinous crime, a dangerous escalation, and a blatant violation of international and humanitarian law.”

In a separate statement, Ankara offered its condolences to “hundreds of thousands of martyrs, such as Haniyeh, so that they can live in peace in their homeland and under the roof of their state.”

The death of Haniyeh will “strengthen the deep and unbreakable bond” between Iran and Palestinians, Naser Kanaani, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said today.

“Without a doubt, the pure blood of this steadfast fighter … will never be wasted,” he added.

The place where Ismail Haniyeh was staying in the north of Iran’s capital, Tehran, “was struck by an air-launched guided projectile” at around 2 a.m. local time Wednesday (6:30 p.m. ET Tuesday), state media reported today.

“Further investigations are underway to determine the details of this terrorist operation, including the launch site of the projectile,” reported Nour News, which is closely linked to Iran’s immensely powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. 

A senior leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels has called Haniyeh’s death an “unacceptable political murder.”  

Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, said in a statement that “ it will lead to further escalation of tensions.”

“Targeting Ismail Haniyeh is a heinous terrorist crime and a flagrant violation of laws and ideal values,” he said.

Hamas’ political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed early today in a strike on his home in the capital of Iran, the Palestinian militant group announced.

Haniyeh, 62, was killed in Tehran after he attended the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Hamas said in a statement on Telegram. It added that he died as a result of a “raid on his residence in Tehran.”

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed that Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards had been killed in a strike on their residence and said it was investigating, Iranian state media reported.

There was no immediate comment from Israeli authorities, but Haniyeh’s death was welcomed by senior government official Amihai Eliyahu, who said in a post on X that it “makes the world a little better.”

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