New York: The killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh this week elicited strong reactions from around the world, with senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri saying that the assassination by the Israeli occupation of “Brother Haniyeh is a grave escalation that aims to break the will of Hamas and the will of our people and achieve fake goals”.
Abu Zuhri further said, “Hamas is a concept and an institution and not persons. Hamas will continue on this path regardless of the sacrifices and we are confident of victory". Hamas mourned Haniyeh, denouncing his death as a result of a “treacherous Zionist raid” in Tehran, following his attendance at the Iranian president's inauguration. The group is likely to pick senior member Khaled Meshaal as its new leader.
Iran’s response was mixed. As per Iran’s media, First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said there was no intention to escalate the conflict, contrasting sharply with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s declaration that avenging Haniyeh’s death is “Tehran’s duty”.
The Revolutionary Guards in a statement promised a “harsh and painful response,” while President Masoud Pezeshkian in his statement as per Iranian media, vowed to defend Iran's integrity and make “terrorist occupiers” regret their actions.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the US was neither involved in nor aware of the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh. “This is something we were not aware of or involved in. It’s very hard to speculate". Russia warned that the Middle East is on the brink of major conflict, condemning the killing as an “absolutely unacceptable political assassination” that could escalate tensions and impact Gaza ceasefire talks.
Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani warned that the killing could jeopardize ceasefire negotiations, condemning it as a “heinous crime” and a “dangerous escalation”.
The death was also denounced by Yemen, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Malaysia among others. The incident is seen as a significant escalation, with many fearing it could lead to further regional instability and hinder peace efforts in the Middle East.
On August 1, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) also confirmed that they eliminated Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif in an air strike last month in the southern Gaza Strip. Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said “Deif, the Osama bin Laden of Gaza was eliminated on July 13”. The Israeli military posted on X social media platform: “We can now confirm: Mohammed Deif was eliminated”.
It was Deif who initiated the infamous Hamas attack on southern Israel in an audio message on October 7, which resulted in the death of 1,197 people. According to the Israeli military, Deif initiated, planned, and executed the October 7th massacre.
