US President Says Haniyeh’s Assassination is Not Helpful for Reaching Ceasefire in Gaza

US President Joe Biden said that the assassination of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) political chief Ismail Haniyeh was not helpful for reaching a ceasefire in Gaza. In a statement to media, Biden said that he was deeply concerned about the escalating tensions in the Middle East and urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to quickly reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. When he was asked if Haniyeh's assassination affected the chances for a ceasefire agreement, Biden said "it doesn't help," adding that he spoke with Netanyahu earlier on Thursday. On Wednesday, Hamas announced the assassination of its political chief as a result of an Israeli strike in the Iranian capital Tehran. Source: Qatar News Agency