Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas' political bureau, was assassinated in a targeted Israeli airstrike on his residence in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday, according to a statement released by the Palestinian resistance movement.

Hamas mourned Haniyeh, calling him a "martyred leader" and a "symbol of resistance." The statement claimed he was killed while attending the inauguration ceremony of Iran's new president.

Iran's state television confirmed Haniyeh's death, stating that an investigation into the assassination is underway and results will be announced soon.

There was no immediate response from Israel regarding the incident as of 4:00 GMT. Haniyeh's last public appearance was at the inauguration of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday evening.

Haniyeh, a prominent Palestinian political leader and a key figure in Hamas, served as Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority from 2006 to 2007. He was elected head of Hamas' political bureau in May 2017 and re-elected in 2021 for a second term ending in 2025.

Haniyeh's assassination follows the targeted killings of Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in March 2004 and his successor, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, in April 2004. Haniyeh assumed leadership of Hamas in Gaza after Rantisi's assassination.

Who was Haniyeh?

Haniyeh, who died at the age of 58, was born into a Palestinian refugee family forced to flee their home in the village of Jura, near Ashkelon, during the 1948 Nakba.

Born in 1963, Haniyeh spent his childhood in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza but had been residing in Qatar since 2019. He was a father of 13 children, three of whom were killed by Israel in an airstrike on the Shati camp in April 2024.

Education and Political Activism

Haniyeh received his primary and secondary education from United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools in Gaza, and his high school diploma from the Al-Azhar Institute. He graduated from the Islamic University of Gaza in 1981 with a degree in Arabic literature.

Haniyeh began his political activism within the Islamic Bloc, the student wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, which later evolved into Hamas. He was arrested by the Israeli military on multiple occasions. His first arrest in 1987 lasted 18 days, followed by a six-month administrative detention in 1988. His longest detention was in 1989, when he spent three years in prison for leading Hamas' security apparatus.

In December 1992, after his release from prison, Israel forced Haniyeh to leave the Palestinian territories and deported him to South Lebanon for a year along with dozens of other Hamas leaders.

Assassination Attempts

Haniyeh survived multiple assassination attempts and harassment. In September 2003, he sustained an injury to his hand during an Israeli airstrike targeting Hamas leaders, including Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. In October 2006, his convoy was fired upon during a clash between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza. Israel also targeted his home in Gaza with airstrikes during its wars on the territory in recent years, seeking to assassinate him.

Key Roles

During the first Palestinian Intifada, which erupted in 1987 and lasted until 1994, Haniyeh became known as a young leader within Hamas and gained recognition for his eloquent speeches.

In 1997, he served as the director of Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin's office after Yassin's release from prison.

Haniyeh led the "Change and Reform" bloc, affiliated with Hamas, in the 2006 legislative elections, which resulted in a Hamas victory. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appointed him to form a government.

In June 2007, President Abbas dismissed Haniyeh from his position as Prime Minister after Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip following clashes with Fatah.

From 2007 until 2017, Haniyeh served as the leader of Hamas in Gaza, before being succeeded by Yahya Sinwar. He also served as deputy head of Hamas' political bureau from 2013 to May 2017.

On May 6, 2017, Haniyeh was elected head of Hamas' political bureau, succeeding Khaled Meshaal.

On January 31, 2018, the U.S. State Department added Haniyeh's name to its list of terrorists. The decision came amid heightened tensions between Washington and the Palestinians following President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Targeting of Family Members

During the current Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023, Israeli airstrikes targeted Haniyeh's home in the Shati refugee camp.

On November 10, 2023, Haniyeh's granddaughter was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City.

On April 1, 2024, Israeli police arrested one of Haniyeh's sisters near the city of Beersheba in the Negev desert on charges of communicating with Hamas members.

On April 10, 2024, the Israeli army assassinated three of Ismail Haniyeh's sons and three of his grandchildren who were traveling in a car to visit family and celebrate Eid al-Fitr.