President Biden Said The Murder Of Hamas Leader Haniyeh Did Not Help Ceasefire Negotiations

Ismail Haniyeh. (Wikimedia Commons/Federation Council)

JAKARTA - United States President Joe Biden said the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh did not help reach a ceasefire in the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

Ismail Haniyeh was in Tehran to take part in the inauguration of the elected president Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday afternoon. Earlier, he met Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Pezeshkian on separate occasions.

Iran said the killings came hours after Haniyeh attended the inauguration ceremony of his new president.

The Iranian Hamas and Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) confirmed the death of Haniyeh, who has participated in internationally brokered indirect negotiations to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

"That doesn't help," President Biden told reporters late Thursday when asked if Haniyeh's murder undermined opportunities for a ceasefire agreement.

President Biden also said he had had a direct conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.

PM Netanyahu's government has not issued any claims of responsibility, but he said Israel has dealt a crushing blow to Iran's recent proxies, including Lebanese-based Hamas and Hezbollah, and will respond firmly to any attacks.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Uncle Sam's country was not involved in Haniyeh's assassination, reaffirming the importance of a ceasefire in Gaza.

"This is something we don't know about or get involved in. It's very difficult to speculate," said Foreign Minister Blinken.

"I have learned for years to never speculate about the impact of one event on another," he explained when asked about the impact of Haniyeh's death on war.

Haniyeh's murder increases the risk of escalation into a broader Middle East war, sparking a threat of retaliation against Israel.

An anxious citizen in Israel's surrounded Gaza is concerned that Haniyeh's assassination on Wednesday will only prolong the war in the Palestinian enclave.

Haniyeh's murder less than 24 hours after Israel claimed to have killed a Hezbollah commander accused of being behind a deadly attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Blinken said the ceasefire and the release of hostages detained in Gaza were essential. Washington will do everything it can to make it happen.

"It is very important to hope that everything goes better for the sake of peace and security that is more lasting, so that the focus remains," he said.