Officials with Hamas say the “assassination” of their political leader will have “repercussions” throughout the Middle East. They announced on Wednesday that a missile hit Ismail Haniyeh “directly” during a visit to the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Haniyeh had attended the swearing in of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian and was staying in a state guesthouse. Hamas officials said, hours later, he was killed in what they believe was an Israeli airstrike.
They said his death takes their battle with Israel “to new dimensions.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, joined in, accusing the “Zionist regime” of martyring their “dear guest.” He said his people consider it their duty to avenge Haniyeh’s death.
Palestinian protesters said they would go “sword-to-sword” into battle. Hundreds poured into the streets to condemn the killing and express their support for Hamas.
Leaders of Hezbollah in Lebanon had been mourning the killing by Israeli forces on Tuesday of one of their senior commanders. They said their “enemy demands war,” and they are “up for it.”
Officials with the Houthi rebels in Yemen said Israelis would face retaliations that will be “painful and harsh.”
Israeli leaders have refrained from commenting on the events, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke hours after Haniyeh’s death, saying “challenging days lie ahead.” He said Israel would exact a “heavy price” for any aggression “on any front.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been working with partners in Qatar and Egypt on a truce for Gaza. He said he did not want to speculate about how the killing could impact those negotiations. Still, he said nothing takes away from the importance of reaching a ceasefire.