In a traumatizing event, Ismail Haniyeh was reportedly killed in Iran in the early hours of Wednesday, July 31. The saddening incident sparked waves of fear across the Middle Eastern region as it could further escalate the Israel-Gaza conflict in the region. Ismail Haniyeh, 62, was a top political leader for Hamas and served for more than two decades. According to reports, he was killed on the first working day of Iranian President, Masaoud Pezeshkian. Moreover, Haniyeh also travelled to meet and congratulate the Iranian President earlier this week.

However, Hamas, in response to the attack, stated that Israel is responsible for this heartbreaking incident, and Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has clearly said to avenge Israel directly after he led the funeral prayer, as reported by the New York Times. Earlier this year, on April 10, 2024, the three children of Ismail Haniyeh, namely Hazem, Amir, and Mohammad, were also killed during the on-going war in Gaza. It should also be noted that his bodyguard has also been killed alongside Haniyeh, and the funeral prayers of both have been held in Iran today.

On the other hand, Israel, which is believed to be responsible for the killing of Haniyeh, has not taken any stance on this issue. Instead, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that he will “keep fighting” and that his country is “ready for any scenario,”  as reported by CNN World. As soon as the funeral prayers of both had been held, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting, citing the urgent need to look into the matter and stabilize the escalating regional tensions. According to Feda Abdelhady Nasser, Palestine’s deputy UN representative, “The international community has a choice to make—let it be for peace and security, do not let Israel drag us all to the abyss.”

Right when the Israel-Gaza conflict was about to enter into a ceasefire agreement, the horrendous killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran through an airborne-guided missile from Israel significantly dimmed the chances of stability and a ceasefire in the region. Following Haniyeh’s murder, protests have erupted in different countries, including Tunisia, Turkey, and the occupied West Bank as well. A senior Hamas official reported to Al-Jazeera that, “this assassination by the Israeli occupation of Brother Haniyeh is a grave escalation that aims to break the will of Hamas and the will of our people and achieve fake goals. We confirm that this escalation will fail to achieve its objectives.”

In another turn of events, news is circulating about the successor after Ismail Haniyeh killed in Iran. Two potential names, Khaled Meshaal, who is a veteran Hamas official, and Khalil al-Hayya, a significant figure in the Hamas group, are in consideration.

Furthermore, the world is reacting to this news, and all the sympathies can be seen gravitating towards Iran. Russia and Turkey have both stated that this assassination could result in a never-ending conflict in the Middle Eastern region and would have grave consequences across the entire region. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthis in Yemen have also raised voices against this saddening yet shocking incident. Haniyeh was serving as the cornerstone in mediating the talks for the Israel-Gaza conflict, and the efforts for stability of Middle East would now be in vain after Ismail Haniyeh killed in Iran.

It has also been reported that, following the fears of escalated conflicts in the region, some airlines have also cancelled their flights to Israel. Thus, the situation now gets blurred about the stability of the Middle East, especially the Israel-Gaza conflict. However, it should be noted that Iran has declared three days of mourning after Ismail Haniyeh killed in Iran, and following his funeral prayers on Thursday, Haniyeh’s body will then be flown towards Doha for burial.