Tens of thousands of people attended Ismail Haniyeh’s funeral ceremony in Iranian capital of Tehran on Thursday morning. The leader of Hamas was assassinated a day earlier in an attack in his residence in Tehran.
The Iranian Supreme Leader conducted the prayers prior to the Haniyeh’s burial in Doha. According to Iranian sources cited by New York Times, Ayatollah Khamenei has given the green light to launch a frontal strike on Israel. Iran believes that Israel was behind the strike in its territory. Khamenei vowed “hard punishment” hours after the attack was carried out on Wednesday.
Tel Aviv has refrained from directly commenting on the incident. Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that his nation has just dealt its adversaries “crushing blows.” Netanyahu was referring to the death of a top Hezbollah leader, Fuad Shukr, in Lebanese soils that took place few hours before the assassination of Haniyeh in Iran.
Netanyahu issued a warning to Israelis, saying that difficult days awaits the nation, as concerns about a larger Middle East confrontation intensify.
Israeli prime minister stated in a televised speech that Israel has received challenges from every party since the attacks against Lebanese capital. “We are prepared for any scenario and we will stand united and determined.”
The secretary-general of the UN, issued a warning about a threatening intensification of conflicts in the Middle East. The armed arm of Hamas stated that the loss of Haniyeh, who was generally acknowledged as the group’s supreme commander, will expand the scope of the conflict and have significant consequences.
Participating in Masoud Pezeshkian’s swearing-in as the next president of Iran, Haniyeh was assassinated a few hours later. An influential role was played by the former head of Hamas in the talks for a Gaza agreement and hostage release settlements.
The BBC was informed by a top Hamas official that Haniyeh’s earlier stays in Iran was in the same residence. They added that three other Hamas commanders and many guards were in the building in which Haniyeh was assassinated.
Top Hamas member said at a press conference that former leader of the group was struck literally by a missile, citing eyewitnesses who conveyed the intelligence. Other Hamas sources informed the media that the group’s leaders are now in some kind of bewilderment.
Tel Aviv said that it had assassinated top Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr in Lebanese capital hours before Haniyeh was struck. Twelve people lost their lives by a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel suspects that Shukr led the Golan Heights attack. Hezbollah has refuted any role.
