MOSCOW, August 1. /TASS/. The politically motivated assassination of a key negotiator and the Hamas Political Bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, reduces the chances of returning hostages, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov told Rossiya-24 television.

Haniyeh was in charge of international relations at the Palestinian radical movement and a major negotiator in indirect talks between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire and the release of hostages, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, Viktorov explained.

"Ismail Haniyeh was a prominent politician and negotiator. <…> We condemn this politically motivated killing as we consider it as a blow to the possibility of finding a peaceful way out of this extremely dangerous and very critical situation," the Russian diplomat said.

According to Viktorov, the killing also "clearly became an attempt to draw regional players," especially Iran, in the current confrontation. He urged efforts to address the crucial problem of the confrontation by "putting an end to the Gaza conflict, securing a ceasefire as soon as possible, providing humanitarian assistance and making tracks toward resolving the situation by political and peaceful means" instead of delivering precision strikes in the region.

Earlier, Hamas said its political leader Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli raid on his residence in Tehran after attending the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. Al Hadath television reported that Haniyeh was killed as a projectile hit his residence. Deputy Chairman of the Hamas Politburo Mousa Abu Marzook has warned that this assassination will not go unanswered.

A source in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told TASS that the Israeli military refused to comment on reports about Haniyeh’s assassination. The Israeli prime minister’s office instructed ministers not to speak on the death of Haniyeh, the Jerusalem Post reported. Similar instructions were issued to Knesset members, of Israeli lawmakers, the newspaper added.