Reportedly, an explosive device was used in the assassination of Hamas’ political chief, Ismail Haniyeh. The device, planted in the guest house where Haniyeh was staying about two months ago, was detonated remotely once he was in his room, according to the media reports.
On Wednesday Haniyeh was killed in the Iranian capital while in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. The assassination of Hamas’ top political leader was explosive amid the region’s conflicts because of its target and the decision to carry it out in Tehran.
Most dangerous was the chance to push Iran and Israel into confrontation if Iran retaliated. Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s leader warned that the conflict with Israel has entered a new phase, as he addressed mourners at the funeral of a commander from the group who was killed by an Israeli airstrike this week in Beirut.
The back-to-back killings have increased fears of an escalation into a war, leaving the region waiting to see how Iran and ally Hezbollah will respond. Iran has promised retaliation against Israel for the strike that killed Ismail Haniyeh. Israel has not denied responsibility for the killing.
In a speech via video link to mourners at an auditorium in a Beirut suburb, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said, “We have entered a new phase that is different from the previous period. Do they expect that Hajj Ismail Haniyeh will be killed in Iran and Iran will remain silent?’ he said of the Israelis.
Addressing Israelis who celebrated the two killings, he said, ‘Laugh a bit and you will cry a lot’. But as he often does, Nasrallah kept his comments vague, promising a very-well-studied retaliation without saying what form it would take.
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