One of the leaders of the Palestinian group Hamas, Ismail Haniya, was killed on July 31 in the capital of Iran.
Points of attention
- Hamas has accused Israel of killing Haniya in an airstrike in Iran, although Israel has not yet commented on the report.
- Ismail Haniyeh was the long-term political leader of Hamas, who was designated a global terrorist by the United States.
- Haniyeh has been involved in peace talks with leaders such as the emir of Qatar and a Chinese diplomat, but has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
- The International Criminal Court is considering an arrest warrant for Ismail Haniya and other Hamas leaders for crimes committed in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
What is known about the murder of Ismail Khaniya
As reported by the mass media with reference to the statement of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Ismail Hania was killed during an "Israeli raid" on his residence in Tehran on the morning of July 31.
After this incident, he and one of his bodyguards died.
CNN writes that in a separate statement, Hamas said that Haniya was killed during an "Israeli raid on his residence" in Tehran after he attended the inauguration of the Iranian president.
Israel itself has not yet commented on the information. However, Hamas accused Israel of killing Haniya in an airstrike in Iran.
What is known about Ismail Haniya
Haniya, 62, was the long-time political leader of Hamas. In 2004, he was appointed a member of the secret "collective leadership", and in 2006 - the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority.
In 2017, he became the leader of the group — and soon after was named a "designated global terrorist" by the United States.
Over the years, he has participated in peace talks with former US President Jimmy Carter and met with other world leaders, including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Chinese diplomat Wang Kejian earlier this year.
According to Hamas, three of Gania's sons and four of his grandchildren were killed in April as a result of Israeli airstrikes.
At the time, Haniya, who was in Qatar, insisted that their deaths would not affect negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.
The International Criminal Court demanded an arrest warrant for Ismail Khania. He and a number of other Hamas leaders are considered responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of Israel and in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023 by Hamas militants.
