A significant turnout was observed during the funeral procession in Iran for Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in a strike in Tehran on Wednesday.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led the prayers before Haniyeh’s burial in Qatar.
Reports indicate that Iranian officials have claimed the supreme leader has ordered a direct attack against Israel, blamed for the attack on Iranian soil.
Israel has yet to formally address the assassination.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his country has dealt “crushing blows” to its adversaries recently, including the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon shortly before the Tehran incident.
Netanyahu also cautioned Israelis that “challenging days lie ahead,” as concerns mount over a possible broader conflict in the Middle East.
“Since the strike in Beirut, we have heard threats from all sides,” he asserted in a televised address.
“We are prepared for any scenario and will stand united and determined.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has raised alarms about a “dangerous escalation” of hostilities in the region.
Hamas’s armed wing stated that Haniyeh’s death would “take the battle to new dimensions” with significant repercussions.
On October 7, Hamas launched an attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people. Following this assault, Israel has committed to eradicating Hamas.
Haniyeh, who played a vital role in ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, was killed shortly after attending the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
According to a senior Hamas official, the attack occurred in the same building where Haniyeh had previously stayed during visits to Iran.
Reports indicate that he was accompanied by three other Hamas leaders and a number of guards in the building at the time of the strike.
Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, provided details at a press conference, stating that a missile struck Haniyeh “directly,” as witnessed by those present.
Hamas leadership has expressed that the organization is in a state of shock following the attack.
Prior to the targeting of Haniyeh, Israel confirmed the killing of senior Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
Israel believes Shukr was implicated in a recent rocket attack that resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the attack.
The Iran-backed group confirmed that Shukr’s body was discovered among the debris of the residential building that was targeted, which also claimed the lives of four other individuals, including two children.
