By assassinating Haniyeh, Israel has also killed peace: Turkish FM

The Turkish foreign minister has said that by assassinating Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, Israel has also killed peace.

"I extend my condolences to his family, to the Palestinian nation, and to the Islamic world. And they should not forget that by killing him, they also killed peace," Hakan Fidan said at a live interview with local broadcasters on Wednesday.

Fidan said that the Israeli prime minister has "taken America hostage.”

"Netanyahu is well aware of this. He has taken America hostage. If he enters a war in Lebanon, the US will have no choice but to go to war to support him," the Turkish foreign minister added.

Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran in the wee hours of Wednesday. Hamas blamed Israel for the assassination, but Tel Aviv has not yet confirmed or denied its involvement.

Haniyeh, who was in Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, was killed in an air strike on a guest house.

Fidan also spoke over the phone with Iran’s interim Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri on Wednesday.

The two discussed developments following the assassination of Haniyeh and the situation in the region, according to a statement by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli on X.