The Hamas political bureau chief was one of the terrorist group’s most senior leaders alongside Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the Oct. 7 massacre.

The chairman of Hamas’s political bureau was killed in Iran early on Wednesday morning, July 31, according to Iranian government sources and Hamas.

Ismail Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were reportedly killed by a missile in his Tehran guest house at 2 a.m. local time. The Hamas leader was in Iran for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Haniyah was staying at a special residence for war veterans in the north of the capital, “when he was martyred by an air-launched missile,” according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

An Iranian source told the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen network, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, that the strike “was carried out by means of a missile launched from country to country, not from within Iran.”

There were differing reports from other sources hours later.

According to theyeshivaworld.com and other sources, Iranian media outlets are reporting that one of Hanieyh’s bodyguards is allegedly the one who conveyed the information to the operatives who eliminated him.

The reports added that the missile fired at Haniyeh was not only fired from within Iran but was fired from a nearby building.

The operatives reportedly launched a short-range Spike missile, from the Israeli-American Spike missile family, known for its precision, into the room where Haniyeh was staying at an IRCG “guest house” in northern Tehran. The missile reportedly penetrated his bedroom, killing him.

According to the reports, it is possible that more than one of Hanieyh’s bodyguards assisted the operatives in the elimination.

Qatari news outlet Al–Araby Al-Jadeed, citing informed sources, reported that Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhaleh was also in the building where Haniyeh was staying, on a different floor.

Haniyeh was killed in a “treacherous Zionist raid,” according to a Hamas social media channel. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also confirmed Haniyeh’s death in a statement published by the Islamic Republic’s state-run media.

The Israeli government has not commented on the incident, which came a few hours after the targeted killing by Israel of senior Hezbollah official Fu’ad Shukar in the heart of Beirut, which was acknowledged by the Israeli military.

Despite instructions from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office for ministers to avoid making public statements on the Iran strike, some did so anyway.

Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu tweeted that “this is the right way to clean the world of this filth. No more imaginary ‘peace’/surrender agreements, no more mercy. … The iron hand that will strike them is the one that will bring peace and a little comfort and strengthen our ability to live in peace with those who desire peace. Haniyeh’s death makes the world a little better.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei hosted Haniyeh and Nakhaleh earlier this week in Tehran.

Based in the Qatari capital of Doha, Haniyeh was one of the most senior members of Hamas, along with the terror group’s leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar. His funeral will take place in Doha on Friday, according to the Saudi Al Hadath news channel. Hezbollah top commander Fuad Shukr’s funeral will take place on Thursday, according to latest reports.

The Arab Gulf state, a major financial backer and political ally of Hamas, condemned the assassination, saying that the killing “and Israel’s behavior, which harms civilians, will lead to the region slipping into a cycle of chaos that will undermine the opportunities for peace.”

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas condemned the assassination in an official statement, calling it “a cowardly act and a dangerous development.” P.A. official Hussein al-Sheikh also condemned the killing: “We see this as a cowardly act that calls us to remain steadfast in the face of the occupation, and we need to achieve unity of the Palestinian forces and factions.”

Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk called it a “cowardly act” that “will not go unnoticed,” while the terror group’s spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that it was “a dangerous escalation that will not achieve its goals.”

Muhammad al-Hindi, deputy secretary general of Islamic Jihad, called Haniyeh’s killing “a great loss for the Palestinian people,” adding that “Hamas is a large movement and will fill any void.”

Iran’s terror proxy in Yemen, the Houthis, called the strike “a terrorist crime and flagrant violation.”

An Iranian source told Reuters that the “security bodies” will decide on “our response strategy” to the assassination.

The White House said early Wednesday that it was aware of the assassination without commenting further, while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday in the Philippines that a wider war was not inevitable and that the U.S. would defend Israel if attacked.

Haniyeh’s death comes as a U.S. delegation led by Brett McGurk, the White House’s top Middle East adviser, is in Saudi Arabia to discuss the situation in Yemen and the recent escalation between Israel and the Houthis.

Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) wrote that “Haniyeh was the terrorist face of Hamas. The guy [was] hobnobbing with the Ayatollahs and holding court in luxury hotels in Qatar and Turkey.

“He skimmed billions of dollars off smuggling goods into Gaza while the people suffered in poverty,” Waltz added. “Even the IRGC couldn’t protect him.”

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) wrote on X, “Tonight, the world is safer because the leader of Hamas is dead. The death of this mass murderer is something that should be welcomed by anyone who seeks peace and security for all.”

“The leader of Hamas has been brought to justice. Permanently,” Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) wrote. “A special place in hell is reserved for him.

“Hamas and Hezbollah, their leadership dead, are having a bad day,” the congressman said.