Iranian authorities have opened an investigation into the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, as reported by Iran’s Tasnim news agency. The inquiry is underway, and officials indicate that results will be announced soon.
There are already statements from Hamas asserting that Haniyeh died in Tehran as a consequence of an Israeli strike, and that one of his bodyguards was killed alongside him.
On April 10, 2024, reports emerged that three sons of the Hamas leader were killed during an Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip.
On July 13, 2024, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel would engage with the entire Hamas leadership in some manner.
The regional tensions intensified on October 7 when thousands of armed Hamas supporters crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip. In response, Netanyahu announced that the country was at war with Hamas and that the goal was the destruction of Hamas leadership.
By the evening of May 6, Israel began a ground operation in Rafah. The city is known to host between one and 1.5 million refugees from across the Gaza Strip. Civilians were urged to relocate to an extended humanitarian zone roughly 20 kilometers from Rafah as the operation commenced. The stated conditions for ending the operation include the release of hostages captured by Hamas or the defeat of Hamas forces in the area.
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with Hamas leader Haniyeh and spoke about the situation surrounding Israel.