Hamas terms Ismail Haniyeh's assassination a "cowardly act"

Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk termed the killing of his leader Ismail Haniyeh a "cowardly act", Al-Aqsa TV reported on Wednesday.

"The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh is a cowardly act that will not go unpunished," he said while talking to Hamas-run media.

Earlier today, Iranian state media reported that Haniyeh was killed in an attack at his residence in Tehran.

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

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

In a statement, Hamas also confirmed the assassination of its leader, condemning the "treacherous Zionist raid".

"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 Palestinian jihadist group said.

"The head of the movement, who was killed in a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran, after participating in the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian president. To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. And it is a jihad, victory or martyrdom," it added.

On the other hand, Israel’s Minister of Heritage Amichay Eliyahu celebrated the killing of the Hamas leader, saying "it makes the world a little better".

"No mercy for these mortals. The iron hand that will strike them, is the one that will bring peace and a little comfort and strengthen our ability to live in peace with those who desire peace,” Eliyahu said in a post on X.

A day earlier, Israel claimed that it assassinated the senior commander of Hezbollah in a targeted attack in southern Beirut on Wednesday evening.

However, the claims were denied by Hezbollah but confirmed that its commander had survived the attack.

The situation in Gaza remains dire, with the Israeli military's actions resulting in devastating consequences. 

Entire families have been killed or maimed, and even evacuation centers managed by UNRWA have been targeted by the Israeli forces.

The United Nations (UN) has warned that it will take 15 years to clear the debris from Gaza, which is estimated to be hundreds of millions of tons.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported over 1,000 attacks on healthcare facilities in the occupied Palestinian territory since October 7.

New satellite imagery analysis by the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) has shown that 63% of Gaza's crop fields have experienced significant decline due to Israel's bombings.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that 83% of Gaza is under evacuation orders or designated as ‘no-go’ zones by the Israeli military.

Israel's war on Gaza since October 7 has killed more than 39,000 people, with over 89,727 wounded, according to Palestinian authorities in Gaza.