MR ISMAIL HANIEH, the political leader of the Palestinian liberation organization; Hamas, was assassinated in Tehran on the 31st of July 2024 by unknown attackers: though Israel is highly suspected to be behind this despicable and callous act. Israel has been involved in the assassination of civilians in the territories of the Islamic republic of Iran and elsewhere, such as in Lebanon and Syria. This act of terror in the assassination of Mr. Hanieh is reasonably suspected to be a handy work of terror by the Zionist state of Israel which is accustomed to such vile acts.
Mr. Hanieh was assassinated at a time when negotiations headed by Mr. Hanieh were far advanced in an effort to bring about lasting peace to Palestine and the middle east in general. The United states, and Qatar were also part of mediations to bring about this long awaited solution to the Israel-Palestine issue.
With the assassination of Mr. Hanieh, it is now clear that actors other than the Palestinians are responsible for the continued violence in Palestine and the middle east. The pale face of terror has been exposed and cannot be ignored by any peace loving and well-meaning people of the world.
In wake of this barbaric act, most world leaders and organizations have voiced a strong condemnation of this act of terrorism which could plunge the middle east into a serious conflict. Some of the voices of condemnation as a follows:
1.SOMALIA: The Somali foreign ministry’s statement called for the international community to “bear its responsibilities and take immediate action to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza and its violations of international law and UN resolutions.”
2.BRAZIL: “Brazil repudiates the flagrant disrespect for Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in clear violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter, and reaffirms that acts of violence, under any motivation, do not contribute to the pursuit of lasting stability and peace in the Middle East,”
3.PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: “President Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine strongly condemned the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, deeming it a cowardly act and a serious escalation, He urged our people and their forces to unite, remain patient, and stand firm against the Israeli occupation.”
4.QATAR: “this assassination and the reckless Israeli behavior of continuously targeting civilians in Gaza will lead to the region slipping into chaos and undermine the chances of peace. The ministry reiterates the State of Qatar’s firm position rejecting violence, terrorism and criminal acts, including political assassinations, regardless of the motives and reasons,”
5.SYRIA: “Syria condemns this blatant Zionist aggression. It considers that the continued disregard of international laws by the Israeli entity… may set the entire region ablaze”
6.TURKIYE: “May God have mercy on my brother Ismail Haniyeh, fallen in martyrdom after this odious attack. This shameful act aims to sabotage the Palestinian cause, the glorious Gazan resistance and our Palestinian brothers’ just fight, and to intimidate Palestinians.” The foreign ministry also said: “Once again the (Benjamin) Netanyahu government has shown that it has no intention of achieving peace,” “If the international community does not take measures to stop Israel, our region will face much large conflicts.”
7.CHINA: foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, ”We are highly concerned about the incident and firmly oppose and condemn the assassination, we are deeply concerned that this incident may lead to further instability in the regional situation,” he added. “China has always advocated resolving regional disputes through negotiation and dialogue,” he added. “Gaza should achieve a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire as soon as possible to avoid further escalation of conflict and confrontation,”
8.RUSSIA: “We believe that such actions are directed against attempts to restore peace in the region and could significantly destabilize an already tense situation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“There is no doubt that the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh will have an extremely negative impact on mediated contacts between Hamas and Israel,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The organizers of this political assassination were aware of the dangerous consequences for the entire region,” it added.
9.IRAN: “The Islamic Republic of Iran will defend its territorial integrity, honor, pride and dignity, and make the terrorist invaders regret their cowardly action,” said Pezeshkian in a post on X where he mourned Haniyeh as “a brave leader.”
10.PAKISTAN: “Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including extrajudicial and extraterritorial killings irrespective of the motives,” said the ministry. “We are deeply shocked by the timing of this reckless act, coinciding with the inauguration of the President of Iran, an event attended by several foreign dignitaries, including the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan,” it said.
11.HEZBOLLAH: “We in Hezbollah share with our dear brothers in the Hamas movement all the feelings of pain over the loss of this great leader, the feelings of anger at the enemy’s crimes, the feelings of pride that the leaders in our movements are leading their people and their mujahideen to martyrdom,”
12.MALAYSIA: “Malaysia urges for an immediate and thorough investigation into this assassination, and those responsible to be brought to justice. Malaysia also urges all parties to exercise restraint while facts surrounding the assassination are being established,” Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “The incident underscores the urgent need for de-escalation and reinforces the necessity for all parties to engage in constructive dialogue and pursue peaceful resolutions.”
13.SRI LANKA: “President Ranil Wickremesinghe … expressed his strong condemnation of the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and stated unequivocally that he will never condone such actions,” Sri Lanka’s presidential media service said in a post on X.
14.YEMEN: “Targeting Ismail Haniyeh is a heinous terrorist crime and a flagrant violation of laws and ideal values,” said Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Yemeni Houthis’ Supreme Revolutionary Committee.
15.ALGERIA: “This is not merely an attack on one man. It is a vicious assault on the very foundations of diplomatic relations, the sanctity of state sovereignty and the principles that underpin our global order,”
the united nations security council (UNSC) as well as many other NGOs condemned this distasteful act.
The attack on Haniyeh follows Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of nearly 40,000 Palestinian civilians, primarily women and children, according to Gazan health authorities.
