Hamas said Wednesday an Israeli attack killed its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran where Haniyeh had traveled to attend the swearing-in of Iran’s new president.

A Hamas statement posted on the militant group’s Telegram channel said Haniyeh was killed at a residence in the Iranian capital.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said one of Haniyeh’s bodyguards was also killed in the early morning attack, and that the incident was under investigation.

Israel did not immediately comment.

Haniyeh’s death comes nearly 10 months after Iran-backed Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages.

Israel responded with military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 39,400 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Gaza, which does not differentiate between militants and civilians in its count.

Haniyeh became the head of Hamas’ political bureau in 2017, and had been living in exile in Qatar after leaving Gaza in 2019.

When asked if he could confirm whether Israel was behind the Tehran attack, and if Israel notified the United States, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters in the Philippines, “I don’t have anything for you on that.”

Austin said the situation along the Israel-Lebanon border remains a concern, and that he would remain in touch with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and key leaders in the region.

“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that we keep things from turning into a broader conflict throughout the region,” Austin said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Haniyeh’s killing “a cowardly act and a serious escalation,” according to a statement from his office.

Turkey condemned what it called the “shameful assassination” of Haniyeh. The Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement “this attack also aims to spread the Gaza war to a regional dimension.”

Russia also condemned Haniyeh’s killing, calling it an “unacceptable political assassination.” (VOA)

•PHOTO: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meets with Palestinian group Hamas' top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, Iran, July 30, 2024. Iran's Presidency /WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS

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