KUALA LUMPUR – Hamas has vowed to retaliate against the recent assassination of its political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is believed to have been killed by an Israeli attack in Iran.
The militant group said in a statement today that Ismail had died in a “Zionist strike” on his residence in Tehran after he participated in the inauguration of the new Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Hamas political bureau member Musa Abu Marzuk reportedly slammed Ismail’s assassination as a “cowardly act (which) will not go unanswered”.
Palestinian factions in the Israeli-occupied West Bank have since called for the people of Palestine to take to the streets to protest Ismail’s killing.
“The national and Islamic factions in Palestine announce a comprehensive strike and anger marches to (protest) the assassination of the great national leader Ismail Haniyeh, which came in the framework of Zionist state terrorism and its war of extermination,” the factions said in a joint statement today.
Hamas senior official Taher al-Nunu claimed that the attack was a “direct targeting” of Ismail, adding that Iranian authorities are investigating the incident to determine the methods used.
“The occupation (Israel) is responsible for this attack and the United States also bears responsibility as well,” he was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.
The slain leader’s son, Abdul Salam Ismail Haniyeh, also said in a statement that his father had “achieved what he wished for,” stressing that the Palestinian resistance will not end with Ismail’s assassination as Hamas will continue to “resist until liberation.”
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas condemned Ismail’s killing and deemed it a “serious escalation,” urging the Palestinians to remain united, patient and firm against the Israeli occupation.
Meanwhile, Qatar has described Ismail’s killing as a “heinous crime”, with the Gulf state’s Foreign Ministry saying in a statement that his assassination will “lead to the region slipping into chaos and undermine the chances of peace”.
Turkey has also condemned the “shameful” assassination of Ismail, who was an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The republic’s foreign affairs ministry asserted that the attack “also aims to spread the Gaza war to a regional dimension,” cautioning that if the international community does not take measures to stop Israel, the region will face much larger conflicts.
“We express our condolences to the Palestinian people who have sacrificed hundreds of thousands of martyrs like (Ismail) in order to live in peace in their homeland under the roof of their own state,” the ministry added.
“Once again the (Israeli prime minister Benjamin) Netanyahu government has shown that it has no intention of achieving peace.”
Russia has similarly denounced the “unacceptable political assassination” of Ismail, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who expressed concerns about further escalation to tensions.
Earlier today, it was reported that Ismail, along with one of his bodyguards, were killed after the building they were residing in Tehran was attacked.
Iran’s state media had announced the killings early this morning, with the nation’s Revolutionary Guard issuing a statement expressing its condolences over the incident.
As of press time, Israel has not commented on Ismail’s death.
In April, he lost three of his sons and four grandchildren to Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. – July 31, 2024