Tragedy struck the family of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh as three of his sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist group, confirmed the deaths of Haniyeh’s sons – Hazem, Amir, and Mohammad – along with two of his grandchildren. The airstrike targeted the car they were traveling in at Gaza’s Al-Shati camp.
Haniyeh expressed steadfastness in the face of adversity. He emphasized that Hamas would not waver in its demands, despite the loss of his sons. Haniyeh, who resides in Qatar due to travel restrictions imposed by Israel, has been a prominent figure in Hamas’ diplomatic efforts amid ongoing conflict with Israel.
The recent escalation comes amid ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel. Hamas has been pushing for an end to Israeli military operations in Gaza, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave, and the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes. However, an Israeli ceasefire proposal was deemed unacceptable by Hamas for not meeting these demands.
Haniyeh’s eldest son, Abdel-Salam Haniyeh, confirmed the tragic loss of his brothers in a Facebook post, hailing them as martyrs. Ismail Haniyeh, appointed to Hamas’ top leadership position in 2017, has been shuttling between Turkey and Qatar to evade travel restrictions imposed by Israel and participate in negotiations.
Israel, for its part, views Hamas as a terrorist organization and holds its leadership responsible for ongoing violence. However, the specifics of Hamas’ involvement in a cross-border attack on Israel on October 7 remain unclear. The attack, orchestrated by Gaza-based operatives, caught some Hamas officials by surprise due to its timing and scale.
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