Assassinated in shower or missile attack: How was Hamas leader Ismael Haniyeh killed? Claims go viral

Ismail Haniyeh Death News: Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said the cause of the "incident" was not immediately clear. (Reuters file photo)

Top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was allegedly killed by Israel at his Tehran residence in early morning hours on Wednesday. Terming it an ‘incident’, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said that the exact cause of the death was still unknown.

The killing marks yet another dangerous escalation in the West Asia’s military conflict. Amid lack of clarity on the sequence of events, several claims have gone viral on the social media. Some reports claimed that Haniyeh was killed in the shower. Some said that Israel’s Mossad was behind the killing.

Meanwhile, several Iranian media reports say that the Hamas leader was killed in what was described as a raid by “guided projectile.” Haniyeh (62) was from Gaza. But he had moved to Qatar and was living there for several years now.

The Hamas leader was in Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian, who had won the polls earlier this month. In a sharp comment after the killing, Hamas said that the assassination of Haniyeh was a “cowardly” act and that the “martyrdom” of Haniyeh won’t go “unanswered.”

In an official statement, Iran said that the “martyrdom” will strengthen the “resistance.” Russia and Turkiye are some of those who expressed their shock and condemnation.