Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh killed in Iran

Hamas’s political chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, the Iranian state media confirmed early Wednesday morning. 

"Early this morning, the residence of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran was struck, resulting in his and one of his body guards' martyrdom. The cause is under investigation and will be announced soon," the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement. 

The IRGC stated that Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the swearing in ceremony of newly-elected  Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday. 

Palestinian resistance group also mounrned the death of Haniyeh, stating, “The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas mourns to our great Palestinian people, to the Arab and Islamic nation, and to all the free people of the world: Brother, leader, martyr, Mujahid Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the movement, who was killed in a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran."

The group maintained that Haniyeh’s death would not accomplish any goal.   

Israel has continued to escalate tensions in the region with its intensified military onslaught in the Gaza Strip and the bombing of Lebanon's capital, Beirut.

Israel announced that it killed the senior commander of Hezbollah in a targeted attack in southern Beirut on Wednesday evening.

However, Hezbollah denied the death of its commander and stated that he survived the attack.

Israeli airstrike targeted the area around Hezbollah’s Shura Council which rocked the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of the capital, killing three and injuring 74 civilians.