The assassination of Hamas's top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran in the early hours of Wednesday, July 31, raises another level of the enormous tension that has existed in the Middle East since the attacks by the Palestinian organization the Gaza war began, which has already caused more 39,000 Palestinian victimsespecially women and children. No one doubts that the attack that ended Haniyeh's life was the work of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), whose government had repeatedly threatened his elimination, and continued its policy of selective assassinations in the countries in the region, whose latest victim so far was Saleh al Aruri, co-founder of the organization's armed wing, who was assassinated in Beirut in January of this year.
Hamas has, predictably, responded with threats to make Israel pay dearly, although it does not currently appear to be in a position to do more than it is already doing to defend itself. However, this assassination is particularly serious because of the victim's relevance, not only in Palestine, but internationally, given that he had good relations with several governments in the region, and because of the role he played in the negotiations to end the killing before the Gaza fire.