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Iran and its regional allies have vowed to retaliate for the deaths of prominent Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, significantly heightening regional tensions. This comes as mourners thronged Tehran’s city center, calling for vengeance.
A public funeral was held in the Iranian capital for Hamas’s political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed early Wednesday in an attack on which Israel has not commented. Haniyeh’s body was then flown to Qatar, where he had resided, and where he will be laid to rest on Friday. His group has declared a “day of furious rage” across Palestinian territories and the region on that day.
Addressing the funeral of Hezbollah’s top military commander, Hassan Nasrallah stated that Israel and its supporters must “await our inevitable response” to the killings of Fuad Shukr and Haniyeh, which occurred within hours of each other. “You do not know what red lines you crossed,” Nasrallah warned Israel, following Shukr’s assassination in a strike on south Beirut.
Israel, which claimed Shukr’s assassination was a retaliation for deadly rocket fire on the annexed Golan Heights, issued a stern warning on Thursday. “Those who attack us, we will attack in return,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, asserting Israel’s high level of preparedness for both defensive and offensive scenarios.
A source close to Hezbollah informed AFP that Iranian officials met in Tehran on Wednesday with representatives of the “axis of resistance,” a coalition of Tehran-backed groups hostile to Israel, to discuss their next steps. “Two scenarios were discussed: a simultaneous response from Iran and its allies or a staggered response from each party,” said the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The leader of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels has also vowed a “military response” to what he termed Israel’s “major escalation.”
Analysts suggest that while retaliation is expected, it will likely be measured to avoid a broader conflict. “Iran and the groups it backs will more than likely try to avert a war while also strongly deterring Israel from continuing with this new policy,” said Amal Saad, a Hezbollah researcher and lecturer at Cardiff University.
In Tehran, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers for Haniyeh, having earlier threatened “harsh punishment” for his killing. Crowds, including women clad in black, carried posters of Haniyeh and Palestinian flags in a procession and ceremony starting at Tehran University.
Senior Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami, attended the ceremony, according to state television. The Revolutionary Guards announced that Haniyeh and a bodyguard were killed in a pre-dawn strike on their accommodation in Tehran. However, The New York Times reported, citing anonymous sources, that the blast was caused by an explosive device planted months ago.
When questioned about the report, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari stated, “There was no other Israeli aerial attack… in all the Middle East” on the night of Shukr’s killing. Haniyeh had been in Tehran for Pezeshkian’s swearing-in on Tuesday. Pezeshkian affirmed Iran’s continued support for the “axis of resistance,” as reported by the official IRNA news agency.
Qatar-based Al Jazeera reported that Haniyeh’s body had arrived in Doha, where he will be buried following prayers at the capital’s largest mosque. Hamas has called for a day of protests on Friday, urging “roaring anger marches” to start from every mosque.
Internationally, there have been calls for calm and a focus on securing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. US President Joe Biden expressed concern over rising tensions and stated that Haniyeh’s killing had “not helped” the situation. The White House revealed that Biden spoke with Netanyahu, promising to defend Israel’s security against threats from Iran.
The prime minister of Qatar, a key ceasefire broker, declared that Haniyeh’s assassination had jeopardized the Gaza war mediation process. “How can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?” questioned Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on social media.
These killings mark the latest incidents inflaming regional tensions during the Gaza war, which has drawn in Iran-backed militant groups from Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas in response to its October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Militants also seized 251 hostages, 111 of whom remain captive in Gaza, with 39 reportedly deceased.
India and a number of other nations have been forced to exercise prudence in the area because to this increase.
In light of the growing tension in the area, Indian nationals living in Israel have been urged to exercise caution and abide by the safety procedures.
The warning for Indian people residing in Israel was issued just one day after the Indian Embassy in Beirut issued a strong warning to its residents not to visit Lebanon till further notice. They were also encouraged to depart from Lebanon.
Additionally, Air India announced yesterday that it will be ceasing operations to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, effective August 8.
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