US denies involvement in assassination of Hamas leader
The United States has stated that it was not involved in the assassination of Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed during a visit to Tehran, Iran’s capital, on Wednesday. US President Joe Biden commented that the assassination “doesn’t help” ongoing talks over a potential ceasefire in Gaza.
Haniyeh, Hamas’s most senior official, was heavily involved in ceasefire and hostage release negotiations from his base in Qatar. While Iran and its allies have blamed Israel for Haniyeh’s death, Israel has not yet commented on the matter.
President Biden expressed deep concern over the rising tensions in the Middle East, emphasizing the importance of seizing the opportunity for a ceasefire. “We have the basis for a ceasefire. [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] should move on it, and [Hamas] should move on it now,” Biden stated.
Recent indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, although reports on the progress have been conflicting. At the end of May, President Biden outlined the terms of an Israeli ceasefire proposal, which has since formed the foundation of the intermittent negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US.
Earlier this week, both sides accused each other of hindering progress. Hamas claimed Israel had introduced new conditions, while Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of demanding 29 changes to the proposal.
The conflict began in October when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken to Gaza. The subsequent Israeli military response has led to at least 39,480 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
President Biden’s remarks on Haniyeh’s assassination were his first since the incident. Speaking to journalists at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, ahead of welcoming home American citizens as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia, he confirmed that he had spoken with Netanyahu earlier on Thursday. Biden assured Netanyahu of the US’s commitment to protecting Israel “against all threats from Iran,” which has vowed retaliation. Iran, a key supporter of Hamas, remains a significant adversary of Israel.
Despite months of ceasefire negotiations, a deal has yet to be reached. Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh’s assassination, but Netanyahu noted that Israel had delivered “crushing blows” to Iran’s proxy groups in recent days.
The assassination occurred amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. On Saturday, a strike on a football field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights resulted in the deaths of 12 children and young people. Israel blamed Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed movement in Lebanon, and promised “severe” retaliation, though Hezbollah denied involvement.
On Tuesday, hours before Haniyeh’s killing, Israel conducted a targeted airstrike in Beirut, killing senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, who was allegedly responsible for the Golan Heights attack.
Source: BBC
