Washington
Israel informed the US that it was responsible for the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh immediately after the attack took place, sources have told the Washington Post.
Haniyeh, who was the Palestinian armed group’s chief negotiator in indirect ceasefire talks with the Israeli delegation, was assassinated in Tehran last week, hours after attending the inauguration of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The incident has further increased tensions in the region as Iran has promised to inflict a “harsh punishment” on Israel.
White House officials “responded with surprise and outrage” when they learned of the Hamas chief’s killing, people close to the administration of US President Joe Biden told the Washington Post on Tuesday. According to the sources, Washington believes that the move by the Israeli authorities is a “setback” in US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, where fighting continues since the incursion into Israel by Hamas on October 7.
