Activities of Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh Leading Up to His Assassination

The leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, visited an exhibition at a theme park showcasing landmarks of the ‘Axis of Resistance’ shortly before his murder in Iran. He was observed alongside Ziad al-Nakhaleh, the leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad. 

The ‘Axis of Resistance’ is a coalition led by Iran, which includes Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, and allied forces in Syria and Iraq. This coalition is focused on opposing Western influence, particularly from the US and Israel, in the region. The alliance aims to counter what it perceives as aggression and interference by these powers, advocating for a Middle East free from external control. Iran plays a key role in providing substantial military assistance, training, and funding to its partners. 

A video of Haniyeh’s visit, just hours before his demise, was released by Iranian media. He was shown speaking to journalists. 

Shortly before his assassination, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyah visited an exhibition at a theme park featuring the “Axis of Resistance” landmarks, accompanied by Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhaleh, as shown in a video released by Iranian media. pic.twitter.com/Jk7rqTARbD

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) July 31, 2024

The Hamas chief and one of his bodyguards were killed in an airstrike on the building where they were located on Wednesday morning. The previous day, Haniyeh had been in Tehran to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Israel has been accused by Hamas of carrying out the attack. In a statement, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri stated, “This killing of Brother Haniyeh by the Israeli occupation is a serious escalation intended to crush the determination of Hamas.” 

Israel had previously threatened to eliminate Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders following the group’s attack on southern Israel on October 7. Since then, Israel’s conflict with Gaza has resulted in the deaths of approximately 39,400 individuals and injuries to 90,923 others. 

Prior to this incident, Haniyeh’s three sons, Hazem, Amir, and Mohammad, were killed on April 10 of this year when their vehicle was struck by an Israeli airstrike. Additionally, Hamas reported that Haniyeh lost four of his grandchildren – three girls and a boy.