THREE SONS OF HAMAS LEADER DEAD IN STRIKE
Haniyeh says the killings ‘will harden our resolve’
THREE sons of Hamas’s Supreme Leader have been killed in an Israeli airstrike, along with three of his granddaughters and a grandson.
Ismail Haniyeh’s relatives were targeted as they travelled in a vehicle close to their home near the al-shiti refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.
Confirming the deaths yesterday, Mr Haniyeh said his sons “were martyred on the road to liberating Jerusalem and the Al-aqsa Mosque”.
He added of Israel: “The criminal enemy is driven by the spirit of revenge and murder and does not value any standards or laws.”
The Hamas leader said the killings “will harden our resolve”.
He continued: “I am grateful to God for the honour he has given me in the deaths of my three children and my grandchildren.
FATAL
“My sons were awarded this honour. They remained with our Palestinian people in Gaza, did not leave and did not run.”
The Israeli military also confirmed the deaths yesterday, saying one of Mr Haniyeh’s sons was a Hamas cell commander and the other two military operatives.
The fatal airstrike came as Palestinians marked Eid al-fitr, the end of Ramadan, with celebrations across the region, including in the southern city of Rafah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to invade the city, despite US President Joe Biden calling his military plan “a mistake”. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has again vowed to retaliate against Israel over the killings of Iranian generals in a strike on its consulate in Syria.
He said last week’s attack in Damascus was akin to an attack on Iranian territory.
Khamenei added: “The evil regime must be punished, and it will be punished.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded: “If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will respond and attack in Iran.”
With Middle East tensions being felt worldwide, protesters sprayed red paint over the Ministry of Defence’s HQ in London.
The groups Youth Demand and Palestine Action carried out the action, demanding that the Tory and Labour parties commit to a two-way arms embargo on Israel.
In a video online, demonstrators spray the walls before displaying a banner reading: “Youth demand an end to genocide.”
The Metropolitan Police said five people had been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.
Israel plans to open a new crossing to deliver humanitarian aid into the hard-hit northern Gaza Strip soon, its Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said yesterday.
The enemy is driven by the spirit of murder
ISMAIL HANIYEH ON DEATHS OF HIS SONS