Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated; Netanyahu says Israel dealt ‘crushing blows’ to Iran-backed groups

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel has dealt “crushing blows” to Hezbollah and Hamas, referring to a strike that killed a senior Hezbollah official in Beirut late Tuesday. Still, he stopped short of claiming responsibility for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political wing, was assassinated early Wednesday. Hamas and Iran both blamed Israel and vowed to retaliate. It was not immediately clear how Haniyeh was killed, but the attacks risk plunging the region further into crisis.