Crime
Three Sons of Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Killed in Israeli Airstrike in Gaza, Amid Ceasefire Talks
"Israeli airstrike in Gaza kills three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and four grandchildren, as ceasefire and negotiations continue. Haniyeh vows resolve. Israeli military confirms action against Hamas operatives."
4 min read
Originally published by nationnews.com (opens in new tab)
Three sons of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza Wednesday, with Haniyeh insisting their deaths would not affect ongoing ceasefire and hostage talks.
Four of Haniyeh’s grandchildren were also killed in the attack, according to Hamas, which comes amid fresh efforts in Cairo to bring a temporary halt to months of fighting.
Haniyeh in a statement said killing the sons of leaders would only make Hamas “more steadfast in our principles and adherence to our land.”
“Whoever thinks that by targeting my kids during the negotiation talks and before a deal is agreed upon that it will force Hamas to back down on its demands, is delusional,” he added.
The Israeli military confirmed it carried out the attack, describing the men as “three Hamas military operatives that conducted terrorist activity in the central Gaza Strip.”
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA), those killed were Amir Haniyeh, a cell commander in Hamas’ military wing, and Hamas military operatives Mohammad Haniyeh and Hazem Haniyeh.
The three were killed when the vehicle they were driving in was bombed in the Al Shati refugee camp, northwest of Gaza City, Hamas political leader Haniyeh told Al Jazeera.
The IDF told CNN it is aware of claims that other relatives of Haniyeh were harmed, among them a minor. The IDF added it had not verified this information.
Hamas named the four grandchildren as Mona, Amal, Khalid and Razan, calling them “martyrs.”
The Hamas-run government media office (GMO) said Wednesday that the Haniyeh family had been “carrying out social and family visits on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr,” before the vehicle was struck.
Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, said Hamas was not afraid of a planned Israeli invasion of Rafah, in the southernmost part of the besieged enclave. About 1.5 million people are estimated to be sheltering in the bombarded city after fleeing fighting.
Hamas would “not surrender, and […] not compromise […] no matter how great our sacrifices are,” Haniyeh added.
Israeli officials drew a distinction between the airstrike that killed Haniyeh’s sons and the ongoing negotiations aiming to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal.
“The operation is not related to the negotiations on the release of the hostages,” one Israeli official said. “Israel will continue and eliminate every terrorist/terrorist operatives.”
