Hamas Political Chief Ismail Haniyeh Assassinated in Tehran

Ismail Haniyeh, chairman of Hamas's political bureau and the lead negotiator in hostage talks, was assassinated in Tehran, Iran on July 31, 2024, in a precision bombing of his guesthouse. Israel did not formally claim responsibility but was widely attributed the operation. Haniyeh had been conducting cease-fire negotiations with Qatar and Egypt as intermediaries. His death temporarily stalled hostage negotiations. He was replaced by Yahya Sinwar (then Gaza commander) as political leader; Sinwar was himself killed in October 2024.