Hamas Tehran representative says Haniyeh killed by projectile, dismissing NYT claims about bomb

Khaled Qaddoumi, the Hamas representative in Iran, has disclosed new details about the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas' political bureau, and his aide Wasim Abu Shaban, which took place in Tehran early Wednesday morning.

In an interview with The New Arab's sister publication Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Friday, Qaddoumi refuted claims by the New York Times that the assassination was carried out using a bomb planted at Haniyeh's residence, calling such reports misleading.

Qaddoumi stated that Haniyeh arrived in Iran early Tuesday, leading a delegation that included senior Hamas officials Khalil al-Hayya, Mohammad Nasser, and Zaher Jabarin, in addition to Qaddoumi himself. The delegation attended the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the Iranian parliament later that day.

After the ceremony, the delegation visited the "Land of Civilization" exhibition at the Milad Tower in Tehran, where Haniyeh was moved by a model of the Dome of the Rock and a play about a Palestinian girl who lost her family. Haniyeh also participated in a dinner hosted by President Pezeshkian before returning to his publicly known residence.

Qaddoumi explained that the residence was not secret and was well known to many, dismissing rumours about how the location was discovered. He emphasized that Haniyeh was on an official visit and his activities were public.

Upon returning to the residence late at night, Haniyeh prayed and discussed the day's events, including condolences for the assassination of military leader Fuad Shukr. Haniyeh then retired to his room, while his aide Abu Shaban stood guard outside.

At 1:37 AM, an explosion rocked the building. Qaddoumi recounted that he saw thick smoke and later discovered that Haniyeh had been killed. He believes the attack was carried out by an aerial projectile, possibly a missile or shell, which caused significant damage to the building.

Qaddoumi denied the New York Times' account and similar Israeli media reports that a previously smuggled bomb was planted under Haniyeh's bed. He also refuted claims by Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari that there was no other Israeli airstrike that night apart from the one targeting Shukr in Beirut.

He asserted that these narratives aim to absolve Israel of direct responsibility and mitigate the repercussions of the crime. Qaddoumi accused Israel of planning and executing the assassination with American approval, implicating the recent visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington.

Qaddoumi stressed that Haniyeh's martyrdom is part of the broader conflict in Gaza, where 70% of the 40,000 casualties are women and children. He vowed that Haniyeh's blood would fuel continued resistance against Israeli occupation and lead to the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea.