- Thousands attend Hamas leader Haniyeh’s funeral
- Iran blames Israel for Haniyeh’s assassination
- Netanyahu warns of possible regional escalation
Thousands have attended the funeral procession in Iran for Hamas political chairman Ismail Haniyeh, who was murdered in a strike in Tehran on Wednesday.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, conducted prayers for the Hamas leader, whose remains will be interred in Qatar.
Iranian officials have told US media that the supreme commander has ordered a direct attack on Israel, which they blame for the attack on Iranian land.
Israel has not directly addressed the assassination.
However, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his country had dealt “crushing blows” to its adversaries in recent days, including the assassination of a key Hezbollah leader in Lebanon hours before the Tehran strike.
He cautioned Israelis that “challenging days lie ahead” as worries of a more significant battle in the Middle East intensify.
“We’ve heard threats from all sides since the Beirut strike,” he said in a televised address.
We are prepared for any situation and will remain together and determined.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned against a “dangerous escalation” of hostilities in the region.
Hamas’ armed wing stated that the murder of Haniyeh, who was primarily regarded as the group’s overall leader, would “take the battle to new dimensions” and have serious consequences.
The gang invaded Israel on October 7, murdering around 1,200 people. Since the attack, Israel has pledged to destroy Hamas.
Haniyeh, who was instrumental in negotiating a ceasefire in Gaza, was assassinated hours after witnessing the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, in Tehran.
According to a senior Hamas official, the execution occurred in the same building where Haniyeh had previously resided during his visits to Iran.
“Take a step towards financial freedom – claim your free Webull shares now!”
According to reports, he was accompanied by three Hamas commanders and several guards.
Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, told a news conference that a rocket “directly” hit Haniyeh, citing witnesses.
Top Hamas officials have stated that the group’s leadership is in “a state of shock.”
Hours before Haniyeh was struck, Israel claimed to have murdered top Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
Israel suspects he was behind a rocket attack that killed 12 people in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday. Hezbollah has denied all involvement.
The Iran-backed outfit verified that Shukr’s body was discovered in the rubble of the destroyed home building. Four additional people, including two children, were killed.
