On 31st July, Ismail Haniyeh, the chairman of the political bureau of Hamas, was assassinated in Tehran, the Iranian capital, just hours after attending the inauguration ceremony of newly elected Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian. This event sent political shockwaves across the world. Haniyeh was one of the early founding members of Hamas and served as the Prime Minister of Palestine in Gaza from 2006 to 2014. Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Gaza/Hamas, he remained a key figure in pushing for a ceasefire plan, involving many regional countries such as Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar. Although viewed by some as a hardliner, many experts considered him a moderate voice within Hamas.

His assassination sends a clear message to the world that Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are not interested in any ceasefire or political solution to the Gaza conflict. Since the 7th October attacks, Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, and 2 million people in Gaza have been internally displaced. The routine targeting of children, women, schools, and hospitals highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The international community had pushed hard for a peace truce and ceasefire in Gaza, but the killing of Haniyeh has destroyed the entire foundation of the ceasefire process.

Beyond undermining the peace process, this string of assassination campaigns orchestrated by Israel demonstrates its deep penetration in the Middle East. The Israeli........

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