Ismail Haniyeh, the figurehead of Hamas, has confirmed the demise of three progenies and four descendants in an airstrike in Gaza. Media associated with Hamas reported the vehicle conveying his offspring was targeted within the vicinity of Al-Shati camp, near Gaza City.
Despite the calamity, Haniyeh asserted the tragedy would not sway Hamas’s stance in negotiations for a ceasefire accord. The Israeli defense forces have identified his sons as affiliates of the militant faction of Hamas, en route to a familial festivity commemorating the onset of the Eid Muslim holiday.
In a dialogue with Al Jazeera, Haniyeh revealed that his sons – Hazem, Amir, and Muhammad – chose to remain in Gaza amidst the conflict. Subsequently, Hamas declared the death of Haniyeh’s grandchildren – Mona, Amal, Khaled, and Razan – in the strike, condemned as deceitful and cowardly.
Haniyeh, residing in Doha, disclosed receiving this sorrowful news during his visit to wounded Palestinians receiving treatment in the Qatari capital. He voiced on Al Jazeera that the enemy’s attempt to coerce Hamas into altering its negotiation stance, by targeting his kin at the zenith of ceasefire discussions, was a fallacy.
Furthermore, he expressed gratitude towards the divine for the “honor” of his family’s martyrdom, as articulated on Hamas’s Telegram channel. The Israeli military acknowledged neutralizing three operatives of Hamas’s militant wing in central Gaza, affirming them as Haniyeh’s sons but did not acknowledge the grandchildren’s fatalities.
Amid escalating international efforts to broker a ceasefire, U.S. President Joe Biden dispatched CIA chief William Burns to Cairo for the latest dialogue round. The proposed ceasefire includes exchanging 40 Israeli captives for 900 Palestinian detainees.
Haniyeh, a linchpin in Hamas since 1980 and its political bureau chief since 2017, faced the U.S. Department of State’s terrorist designation in 2018. The ongoing conflict has previously claimed lives within his family, including another son, a brother, a nephew, and a grandson.
Hamas’s onslaught on October 7 led to significant casualties and hostages, with Israel reporting deceased hostages still within Gaza. The offensive has resulted in over 33,000 Gazan fatalities, predominantly civilians, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry.
