Hamas-allied countries slam killing of politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran; terror group vows to avenge his death.
By World Israel News Staff
The presumed Israeli assassination of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran has shocked the terror group and sparked condemnation from countries and political entities affiliated with the terror group.
According to media reports, Haniyeh was killed by a rocket strike on his Tehran residence. The projectile was reportedly fired from outside of Iranian territory.
“Hamas declares to the great Palestinian people and the people of the Arab and Islamic nations and all the free people of the world, brother leader Ismail Ismail Haniyeh a martyr,” read a statement from Hamas confirming that Haniyeh was assassinated.
The killing of Haniyeh is “a cowardly act that will not go unpunished,” senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk told Hamas-controlled news outlet Al-Aqsa TV.
Sami Abu Zuhri, another prominent Hamas member, defiantly said that Haniyeh’s death would not deter the terror group from its ultimate goal of destroying the Jewish State.
“We are waging an open war to liberate Jerusalem and are ready to pay any price,” Abu Zuhri told Hamas-affiliated news outlet Shehab.
Russia, which does not recognize Hamas as a terror group, slammed Israel for the assassination.
“This is an absolutely unacceptable political murder, and it will lead to further escalation of tensions,” RIA cited Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told the state-controlled RIA news agency on Wednesday morning.
“We condemn the assassination of the leader of Hamas’s political office, Ismail Haniyeh, in a shameful assassination in Tehran,” said Turkey’s Foreign Ministry in a statement.
The media release added that “this attack also aims to spread the Gaza war to a regional dimension.”
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently threatened to invade and conquer Israel, in order to stop Jerusalem’s military campaign against Hamas.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that Haniyeh’s slaying further cemented ties between Hamas and the Islamic Republic.
“Haniyeh’s martyrdom in Tehran will strengthen the deep and unbreakable bond between Tehran, Palestine, and the resistance,” Kanaani told Iranian state media, adding that Haniyeh’s blood was not shed in vain.
Notably, Haniyeh’s assassination came just hours after he was an honored guest at the inauguration of new Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian. Footage from the ceremony showed the two men exchanging numerous warm greetings, including hugs and kisses.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas slammed Israel for the assassination, calling it “a cowardly act and a serious escalation.”
A media statement from his office encouraged the Palestinian “people and their forces to unite, remain patient, and stand firm against the Israeli occupation.”