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Blinken says US not involved in Hamas chief’s assassination

"It's vitally important to hopefully put things on a better path for more enduring peace and more enduring security, so that focus remains," the top diplomat said

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken AP Photo/Suhaimi Abdullah

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken

© AP Photo/Suhaimi Abdullah

TOKYO, July 31. /TASS/. The US has nothing to do with the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Palestinian movement Hamas, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Indonesia’s CNA news outlet.

According to him, the United States was "not aware of or involved in" Haniyeh’s assassination. "It's very hard to speculate, and I've learned over many years never to speculate on the impact one event may have on something else," he said when asked whether the Hamas leader’s assassination will escalate tensions in the region.

"It's vitally important to help end the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. It's vitally important to get the hostages home, including a number of Americans. <…> It's vitally important to hopefully put things on a better path for more enduring peace and more enduring security, so that focus remains," the top diplomat said, assessing the importance of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier, the Palestinian movement Hamas said that Ismail Haniyeh, head of the movement’s political bureau, has been killed in an Israeli strike on his residence in Tehran, where he had arrived for the inauguration of the country's president-elect, Masoud Pezeshkian. The Al Hadath TV channel reported that Haniyeh was killed in a direct missile strike. The missile was launched "not from the territory of Iran itself," but "from another state," according to Al Mayadeen. Deputy Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau Mousa Abu Marzook has warned that the assassination of Haniyeh will not go unanswered.

Israeli authorities declined to comment to CNN on Haniyeh's death. According to the Jerusalem Post, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office instructed ministers not to comment on the issue. The newspaper added that lawmakers had received similar instructions.

Ismail Haniyeh held senior Hamas posts since 2004. In 2007-2014, he headed the one-party Palestinian government and led the Political Bureau of the movement since 2017. The politician took part in negotiations on resolving the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and releasing Israeli hostages. He was involved in talks on the Palestinian issue in previous years as well. In September 2022, he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

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