Political leaders around the world have condemned the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and massively expressed fears of further escalation of the military conflict in the Middle East.
Israel will be severely punished for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Hamas, state’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said.
Haniyeh accepted martyrdom at the hands of the “criminal Zionist regime,” Khamenei claimed. He also added:
“We consider it our duty to pave the way for severe punishment for ourselves and avenge the blood of the one who accepted martyrdom on the territory of the Islamic Republic.”
Tehran will “make the occupying terrorists” who killed Haniyeh regret what they have done, recently elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also said earlier. At the same time, Iranian Vice President Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi said the Palestinian resistance has every right to “punish the perpetrators” of the Hamas leader’s assassination.
Ismail Haniyeh, head of the politburo of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, and his bodyguard were killed by a direct missile strike on the place where they were staying in Tehran. Hamas said the politburo chief had attended the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the previous day, July 30. The group called the attack “treacherous” and blamed “Zionists” for it.
The Israel Defence Forces declined to comment on Haniyeh’s death. However, Israeli Minister of Jerusalem and Heritage Affairs Amihai Eliyahu called his death “the right way to cleanse the world of filth.” Eliyahu became the first senior Israeli official to hint that Israel was behind the assassination of a Hamas leader.
World community statements after Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination
Haniyeh was in charge of Hamas’s international relations and was a key negotiator in the ceasefire and hostage release talks. Ankara condemns the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh and calls on the international community to stop Tel Aviv before the conflict becomes regional, according to a statement published on Wednesday on the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s website.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Haniyeh’s death was an unacceptable political assassination that would escalate the conflict in the Middle East.
Hezbollah said the killing of Haniyeh would give courage, “determination and stubbornness” to resistance fighters and strengthen their resolve in the fight against Israel. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthi politburo, said the killing of the Hamas leader was a “heinous terrorist crime” and a “blatant violation of laws and ideal values.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing was deeply concerned that the incident could lead to further instability in the region.
Qatar’s foreign ministry said it condemns the killing of Haniyeh “in the strongest possible terms.” The ministry “reaffirms that this murder and the reckless behaviour of Israel, which continuously attacks civilians in Gaza, will plunge the region into chaos and undermine the chances for peace.”
Malaysia’s foreign ministry said it unequivocally condemned all acts of violence, including targeted killings, and called on all peace-loving countries to join in condemning such acts. Haniyeh’s killing “underscores the urgency of de-escalation and reinforces the need for all parties to engage in constructive dialogue and pursue peaceful solutions,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
