Will the Assassination of Haniyeh Affect the Status of Hamas Fighters in Gaza?

Experts say that the assassination of Hamas' political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran will not affect the way the Palestinian movement manages its war against Israel in the Gaza Strip. Leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, carry out military operations largely independently during the conflict. However, for Hamas leaders residing outside Palestinian territories, the assassination in Tehran signals increasing risks surrounding them. Haniyeh is the second Hamas leader to be killed in one of the Middle Eastern capitals this year, following a drone strike that targeted the deputy leader of the movement, Saleh al-Arouri, in Beirut. Israel has had mixed results in its attempts to kill the Gaza-based leaders responsible for planning and executing the October 7 cross-border attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of 250 others, according to Israeli statistics. Israel stated that it killed Marwan Issa, the deputy military chief of Hamas's armed wing, known as the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. The United States confirmed Issa's death in an Israeli operation. Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied his death. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant stated that Sinwar and other Hamas leaders "are living on borrowed time," prompting Israel to launch the ongoing assault on Gaza, which has devastated large parts of the Strip and resulted in the deaths of nearly 40,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza.