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Thursday, Jun 18, 2026
Outside the box.
Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Assassinated in Iran
Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, was assassinated in Tehran on July 31. Haniyeh was in Iran for President Masoud Pezeshkian's inauguration when he was killed in a strike on his residence. Born in 1962 in Gaza's Shati refugee camp, Haniyeh was a key figure in the founding of Hamas and served as Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority in 2006.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, Iran, on July 31.
The incident occurred during his visit to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Haniyeh and his bodyguard were killed in a strike on their residence.
Tehran attributes the strike to a Zionist raid, though this has not been confirmed by Iranian authorities.
Haniyeh was born on January 29, 1962, in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, and studied Arabic literature at the Islamic University of Gaza.
He was involved in the founding of Hamas in 1987 and became a close advisor to its founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
Haniyeh served as Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority in 2006 and led an independent Hamas administration in Gaza from 2007 to 2014.
He was married with five children, three of whom were killed in an Israeli airstrike on April 10, 2024.
The incident occurred during his visit to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Haniyeh and his bodyguard were killed in a strike on their residence.
Tehran attributes the strike to a Zionist raid, though this has not been confirmed by Iranian authorities.
Haniyeh was born on January 29, 1962, in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, and studied Arabic literature at the Islamic University of Gaza.
He was involved in the founding of Hamas in 1987 and became a close advisor to its founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
Haniyeh served as Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority in 2006 and led an independent Hamas administration in Gaza from 2007 to 2014.
He was married with five children, three of whom were killed in an Israeli airstrike on April 10, 2024.