TEHRAN: President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas termed the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh a cowardly act and a perilous development.
He said this on Wednesday after the assassination of Hamas chief in Tehran. The chief of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was martyred in Tehran early Wednesday.
According to a statement released by the IRGC, Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed after their residence was targeted in Tehran.
“With condolences to the heroic nation of Palestine, the Islamic Ummah, the combatants of the Resistance Front, and the noble nation of Iran, this morning (Wednesday), the residence of Dr. Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political office of the Islamic Resistance of Hamas, was struck in Tehran, leading to his martyrdom along with one of his bodyguards,” the statement read.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, according to Tehran Times.
Hamas reported that Haniyeh was assassinated in a “Zionist airstrike on his residence in Tehran” after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday.
In a statement, Hamas declared, “To the great Palestinian people, the Arab and Islamic nations, and all the free people of the world, brother leader Ismail Haniyeh is a martyr.”
Haniyeh had previously remarked that the Palestinian cause has “costs,” adding, “We are ready for these costs: martyrdom for the sake of Palestine, for the sake of God Almighty, and for the dignity of this nation.”
In the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Haniyeh’s assassination, calling it a “cowardly act and a dangerous development.” Political factions in the occupied territory have called for strikes in protest of the killing.
Since the beginning of Israel’s war against Hamas following the October attack, more than 39,360 Palestinians have been killed and over 90,900 wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, whose figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
