Hamas Leader Haniyeh Allegedly Killed With Explosives Secretly Hidden

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. (Wikimedia Commons/council.gov.ru)

JAKARTA - Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran's capital, Tehran, using a secretly hidden explosive device at the guesthouse he was staying at, sources familiar with this information told CNN.

The bomb was hidden about two months ago and detonated remotely once he was in his room at the guesthouse.

The New York Times first reported details of Haniyeh's murder.

The Iranian and Hamas governments said Israel carried out the killings. Israel did not justify or deny its involvement.

US officials were briefed on the operation by Israeli officials following the killings, the source said.

Iranian state media and Hamas previously indicated Haniyeh was killed through rockets fired from outside the building.

But the fact that the bomb was smuggled into the guesthouse, which is under the protection of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, shows a surprising security breach for the IRGC.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, 'You killed our beloved guest at our home and have now paved the way for your severe punishment.'

CNN has not received an Iranian government response to this new news.

Haniyeh's death, both strategically and symbolically, dealt a dramatic blow to Hamas, for eliminating most community leaders who led the group's political operations while living abroad.

His killings also sparked concerns over the halt to negotiations to reach an agreement to release hostages and ceasefires in Gaza, where Israeli attacks have killed 39,840 Palestinians.

Haniyeh played a major role representing Hamas in months of ceasefire negotiations.