Ismail Haniyeh killed, Hamas leader assassination, Israeli raid, Iran-Israel tensions, Gaza conflict, Middle East escalation.

In a significant escalation of Middle East tensions, Hamas announced the death of its political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in what it described as a "treacherous Zionist raid" on his residence in Tehran, Iran. The incident has drawn a strong response from Iranian leaders, with President Ebrahim Raisi vowing that Israel would "regret this cowardly action," and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasizing that avenging Haniyeh's death is a duty of Tehran.

The Israeli government has not commented on the incident, though the Israeli military mentioned it is conducting a situational assessment. This development follows closely after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut that resulted in the deaths of three people, including two children, and left 74 others wounded. The Israeli military described this attack as a "targeted assassination operation" aimed at Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.