Hamas 'in shock' over Haniyeh death

The leadership of the Palestinian armed group Hamas has been left in "a state of shock" by the assassination of its political leader Ismail Haniyeh, top officials have told the BBC.

Hamas says Haniyeh, 62, was killed in an Israeli strike early on Wednesday morning in Iran. Widely considered the group's overall leader, he has been a prominent member since the late 1980s.

As head of its political bureau based in Qatar, Haniyeh led Hamas' outreach to regional governments and was central to its alliance with Tehran and its proxy groups across the Middle East.