11-4-2024 (CAIRO) In a devastating blow amidst simmering tensions, the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has confirmed that three sons of its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, were tragically killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Monday, April 10th.
Hazem, Amir, and Mohammad Haniyeh lost their lives when the vehicle they were traveling in was struck by an Israeli bomb in Gaza’s Al-Shati refugee camp. The airstrike also claimed the lives of two of Haniyeh’s grandchildren, while a third child sustained injuries, according to Hamas media outlets.
In a defiant statement to Al Jazeera, the Hamas chief, currently based in Qatar, vowed that the targeting of his family would not sway the group’s resolve. “Our demands are clear-cut, and we will not compromise on them. The enemy is delusional if it thinks that by attacking my sons, at the pinnacle of negotiations and before Hamas conveys its response, it can force us to change our stance,” Haniyeh declared.
With an unwavering voice, he added, “The blood of my sons is no more precious than the blood of our people.”
The tragic loss comes as Hamas, which governs Gaza, was evaluating an Israeli ceasefire proposal. However, the group had deemed the terms “intransigent” and failing to meet Palestinian demands for an end to military operations, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the safe return of displaced civilians.
In the seventh month of a conflict that has ravaged the besieged enclave, Haniyeh’s eldest son, Abdel-Salam, took to Facebook to express his grief and pride, stating, “Thanks be to God who honoured us by the martyrdom of my brothers, Hazem, Amir, and Mohammad, and their children.”
Appointed as Hamas’ leader in 2017, the 59-year-old Haniyeh has shuttled between Turkey and Qatar, evading Israeli travel restrictions on Gaza. This has enabled him to act as a negotiator and maintain communication with the group’s key ally, Iran.
While Israel considers the entire Hamas leadership as terrorists, accusing Haniyeh and others of orchestrating acts of violence, the extent of his foreknowledge about the October 7th cross-border attack on Israel by Gaza-based militants remains unclear.
