Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh visited a theme park exhibition featuring 'Axis of Resistance' landmarks just hours before his assassination in Iran. He was seen alongside Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhaleh.
The 'Axis of Resistance' is an Iran-led coalition of groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis and allied forces in Syria and Iraq. This coalition aims to counter Western influence, particularly from the US and Israel, in the region. The alliance seeks to counteract what it dubs as aggression and interference by these powers, advocating for a Middle East free from external control. Iran plays a central role in providing significant military aid, training, and funding to other members.
The Iranian media has released a video of Haniyeh's visit, hours before his death. He was seen talking to reporters.
The Hamas leader and one of his bodyguards were killed Wednesday morning in an airstrike on the building where they were staying. On Tuesday, Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Hamas has blamed Israel for the attack. "This assassination by the Israeli occupation of Brother Haniyeh is a grave escalation that aims to break the will of Hamas," senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement.
Israel previously vowed to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders in response to the group's October 7 attack on southern Israel. Since then, Israel's war on Gaza has killed close to 39,400 people and injured 90,923 others.
Earlier, Haniyeh's three sons, Hazem, Amir and Mohammad, were killed on April 10 this year when their car was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Hamas reported that Haniyeh also lost four of his grandchildren – three girls and a boy.
