Israel's assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday, and its killing of Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr on Tuesday, have sharply increased tensions in the Middle East, threatening a wider regional conflict, according to the British newspaper The Independent.

Writer Chris Stevenson said in a report in The Independent that Haniyeh's assassination changes the map of talks in Gaza, where he was a key party in ceasefire negotiations, and in direct dealings with Qatar and Egypt. Iranian state television said that Haniyeh's assassination would delay the negotiations "for several months".

It is expected - according to the writer - that Haniyeh's assassination will affect Hezbollah's response to Fuad Shukr's killing, as there were indications on Tuesday that Israel does not expect a direct military response as a result, but after Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran, it has become possible that Hezbollah's response will come in coordination with Iran or Hamas, increasing the likelihood of war.

On the Iranian side, the writer said that the assassination of Haniyeh on its soil constitutes a heavy blow and an insult to the security of the state, especially since Iran considers Haniyeh an ally, and the Iranian response may come from Tehran, or from its Houthi allies in Yemen, or from its allies in Iraq, or in cooperation with Hamas and Hezbollah.

According to the writer, current diplomatic efforts are facing increasing obstacles and are struggling to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.

Despite the ongoing diplomatic pressure from Western allies on Israel, led by the United States, Netanyahu is determined to continue the war, according to the writer.

While Israel indicates its desire to avoid further escalation, its actions may provoke strong retaliatory reactions, in addition to the fact that the assassination of Haniyeh represents a setback to all negotiation efforts that have been ongoing for months in an effort to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

The writer expects that diplomatic efforts will increase from within and outside the region in anticipation of Iran and Hezbollah’s responses.

Source: Independent