THE GUARDIAN: Death came hours after Israel said it killed a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut, fuelling fears of regional conflict
Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was killed by a strike in Tehran in the early hours of Wednesday morning, only hours after Israel said it had killed a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut.
The dual assassinations are heavy blows to Hamas and Hezbollah, but also raise the stakes for Iran, which backs both groups and vowed revenge. They will fuel growing fears that the war in Gaza could escalate into a broader regional conflict.
A senior Hamas official described Haniyeh’s killing as a “cowardly act that will not go unpunished”. Mediators Qatar and Egypt warned it would set back talks on a ceasefire and a deal to release hostages held in Gaza. » | Emma Graham-Harrison, Quique Keirszenbaum and Bethan McKernan in Jerusalem, and William Christou in Beirut | Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Ismail Haniyeh’s death brings prospect of regional war closer: While Hamas’s capacity to retaliate is diminished, response could come from axis of militias backed by Iran »
