Israeli airstrike in Gaza kills Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s relatives

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh lost three sons in an airstrike conducted by Israel on Wednesday, which has been confirmed by his relatives and Hamas media. Haniyeh has accused Israel of acting out of a spirit of vengeance and committing murder.

This development has sent shockwaves through the Hamas hierarchy, since Haniyeh’s sons are amongst the most highly prioritized figures in the organisation and their death highlights the fact that the Hamas leadership can be targeted directly by the Israel Defense Force.

This incident is expected to affect on-going negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which look to establish terms for a ceasefire between the two sides. International mediators have been conducting these negotiations for over a month and are now facing a situation which could completely destroy these efforts.

In an interview given by Haniyeh to Al-Jazeera, he confirmed the deaths of his sons, adding that they had died in the pursuit of bringing liberty to Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

He also stated the following, “The criminal enemy is driven by the spirit of revenge and murder and does not value any standards or laws.”

The Israeli Military has refrained from issuing an official statement on the airstrike and have also not confirmed whether the attack was a calculated one, or if they were targeting someone else in the vicinity.

Haniyeh’s interview with Al-Jazeera, which he gave via a phone call, is being seen as a glimpse into the mindset of the Hamas hierarchy. He made it very clear that such targeted attacks will not push Hamas into submission as they remain resolute in the pursuit of their goals.

He said, “The enemy believes that by targeting the families of the leaders, it will push them to give up the demands of our people. Anyone who believes that targeting my sons will push Hamas to change its position is delusional.”

The Al-Aqsa TV station showed footage in which Haniyeh, who is living in exile in Qatar, was meeting wounded Palestinians who had been brought to Doha, when he was informed of the death of his sons.

It shows an aide of Haniyeh receiving the news via a phone call before informing him. This prompted him to nod, look down and subsequently exit the room.

He also prayed for God to care for his sons, hailing him as the supreme power. Hazem, Ameer and Mohammed Haniyeh are said to have been at the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, with some of their family members, when the airstrike killed them and others.

Ismail Haniyeh hails from Shati, which explains why his sons were in the area, travelling in a single vehicle with their family members, when an Israeli drone took them out, according to Al-Aqsa TV. It is said that in totality, six people were killed in the air strike, including Hazem Haniyeh’s daughter, as well as Ameer Haniyeh’s son and daughter.

Benny Gantz, Israel’s War Cabinet Minister, said recently that even though Hamas has been crippled militarily in Gaza, Israel will continue to fight the terrorist organisation for years to come.

Gantz alluded to this in the following statement, “From a military point of view, Hamas is defeated. Its fighters are eliminated or in hiding.”

He went on to add that, “Fighting against Hamas will take time. Boys who are now in middle school will still fight in the Gaza Strip.”

Gantz also bolstered the notion that the Israeli government has made a commitment to go into Rafah in the south, which now houses 2.3 million people, amounting to half of the entire population in Gaza.

He said that the Israel Defense Force will ensure that it clears every area which is harboring Hamas, so as to bring its reign of terror in the region to a definitive end.

The airstrike coincided with Palestinians across Gaza celebrating Eid al-Fitr in a very subdued manner, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the tradition of fasting during this time period.

On this day, Palestinians were visiting the graves of loved ones, as was the case at the Jabaliya refugee camp, which is in close proximity to Gaza City.

Israel has also been noticing a marked change in the rhetoric surrounding Israel’s handling of the conflict in Gaza, as President Joe Biden said that Prime Minister Netanyahu has not handles the situation well and continues to push for allowing increased amounts of aid into the ravaged territory.

This is being seen as an attempt to pressurize Israel into accepting a ceasefire and is creating discontent between Israel and its allies, specifically the United States.

President Biden’s stance has confused many, since he was an ardent supporter of Israel’s was against Hamas. Having said that, in the face of international pressure, the United States has changed its stance to a significant degree, which has led to Israel being isolated at the international stage.

This series of events has led to the long-standing relationship between Israel and the United States beginning to show cracks as they do not see eye to eye on what the appropriate approach towards the conflict would be.

The recent deaths of seven aid workers, who were in Gaza, working for the World Central Kitchen charity, coupled with Israel’s plans for Rafah, have sent the relationship between the two nations into a tailspin.

President Biden also gave an interview which was released on Tuesday, which highlighted the fact that Israel’s blockade of Gaza has led to a situation where a famine is incoming and will be unavoidable of the flow of aid is not increased exponentially.