Unstoppable escalation of tensions in the Middle East?

By Brenda Estefan

The assassination of Ismael Haniyeh, political leader of Hamas, in the heart of Tehran after his participation in the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian president, has shaken the Middle East. Although Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, all indications are that it is responsible, showing that there are no red lines in the war that the Hebrew state is waging against Hamas.

The assassination made evident the vulnerability of the Islamic Republic, Haniyeh had met with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei just hours earlier; a photo posted on X attests to this. 

What consequences could this event have? One thing is certain: Haniyeh's assassination also rendered the negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza lifeless. 

Despite the strong pressure in recent weeks from Washington on Israel to reach an agreement with Hamas, it is clear that it is not a priority for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a negotiation that would allow his countrymen to return home, otherwise he would not have annihilated Haniyeh, who was the main negotiator, since Doha, on behalf of Hamas.