Doha, August 2- Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian movement Hamas, was killed along with his bodyguards in an attack in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday morning. The attack has been attributed to Israel by both Hamas and Iranian officials, although Israel has not officially commented on the incident. The news was reported by AFP.

Haniyeh, who headed the political wing of Hamas, had been residing in Doha, Qatar, along with other leaders of the organization. He had traveled to Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran's newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday. The attack occurred at his residence in the Iranian capital.

The funeral for Haniyeh will take place on Friday at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab Mosque in Doha, followed by burial at Lusail Cemetery, located north of the Qatari capital. The ceremony is expected to be attended by leaders from Arab and Islamic countries, as well as representatives from various Palestinian organizations.

The assassination of Haniyeh has heightened tensions across the Middle East, particularly among Iran-backed armed groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. These groups, along with Hamas, have been vocal in their opposition to Israel, and the recent events could further destabilize the region.

In a related incident, Israel conducted an airstrike near Beirut, Lebanon, earlier on Wednesday, killing Fouad Shukur, a military commander of Hezbollah, a group allied with Hamas. This has contributed to the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran-backed factions.

A funeral for Haniyeh was held in Tehran on Thursday, where thousands gathered to pay their respects. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led the funeral prayers and issued a stern warning of "severe punishment" in response to the killings.

The situation remains volatile as the international community watches for potential repercussions from these targeted attacks, which have significant implications for regional stability.