Hamas chief Ismail Haniya was assassinated at his base in Tehran in the early hours of Wednesday. Hamas has blamed Israel for this murder. Now Turkey has strongly condemned the killing of Hamas chief and said that the purpose of this Israeli attack is to escalate the ongoing war in Gaza to the regional level. Describing Haniya as a martyr, Turkey has said that we express our condolences to those who were martyred for living peacefully in their motherland.
On Haniya’s murder, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, ‘We condemn the assassination of Ismail Haniya, head of Hamas’s Political Bureau, in a heinous attack in Tehran. We express our condolences to the Palestinian people, thousands of whom, like Haniya, lost their lives and were martyred in order to live peacefully in their homeland under the roof of their country.
The statement targeted Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu government and said that this incident has once again exposed the Netanyahu government’s unwillingness to achieve peace.
The statement from Turkey further said, ‘The purpose of this attack is to spread the war in Gaza to the regional level. If the international community does not take action to stop Israel, our region will face an even bigger conflict. Türkiye will continue to support the just cause of the Palestinian people.
Hamas Chief murdered early on Wednesday
Hamas chief Haniya was in the capital Tehran to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian. After attending the ceremony on Tuesday, he stayed in Tehran. Haniya and one of his bodyguards were also killed in the attack targeting the hideout of Hamas Chief in the early hours of Wednesday.
Hamas blamed Israel for this attack but Israel has not yet responded to it. However, some of Netanyahu’s ministers are celebrating Haniya’s death.
Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu wrote on the social media site X after the news of Haniya’s murder came out, ‘This is the right way to clean the world of this filth. There will be no imaginary peace or surrender agreement now…no mercy will be shown to such people.
He further said, ‘The strong hand that strikes them will bring peace and some comfort and will strengthen our ability to live in peace with those who seek peace. Hania’s death makes the world a little better.
Hamas said- will take revenge
On the death of the chief, Moussa Abu Marzouk, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said that Haniya’s death would be avenged. He said that the ‘cowardly’ murder of Ismail Haniya will be answered.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has also condemned the killing of the Hamas chief and called it a ‘cowardly act’. He has said that killing Ismail Haniya is a very ‘dangerous development’.