The assassination of Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh has sparked widespread reactions, with world leaders condemning it as a “cowardly act” aimed at destabilising the region.
The Hamas chief was killed in an attack in Iran’s capital Tehran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Wednesday, Press TV reported.
Ismail Haniyeh, based in Qatar, was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Iranian President-elect, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Russia, including Turkey, condemned the killing of Hamas chief and called on all parties to refrain from steps that could tip the Middle East into a major war.
Russia
Speaking on the matter, the deputy spokesman of Russia’s foreign ministry, Andrei Nastasin told reporters on Wednesday. “It is obvious that the organisers of this political assassination were aware of the dangerous consequences this action is fraught with for the entire region,” Nastasin added.
Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday also condemned the provocative assassination of Ismail Haniyeh.
It was “a despicable attempt to undermine the Palestinian cause, the glorious resistance of Gaza, and the rightful struggle of our Palestinian brothers, aiming to demoralise, intimidate, and suppress them,” Erdogan said on X.
Erdogan said that this assassination mirrors previous attacks on Palestinian figures like Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Abdul Aziz al-Rantisi, asserting that “Zionist barbarism will once again fail to achieve its goals.”
Iran
The Iranian president also, in a post on social media platform X, expressed condolences over Haniyeh’s “martyrdom,” saying Iran would defend its territorial integrity, dignity, honour, and pride and make the Israelis, whom he described as “terrorist occupiers,” regret their “cowardly move.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed to avenge Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh’s death in the Iranian territory.
He stressed that Israel prepared the ground for a “harsh punishment” for itself.
United States
Shortly following the conformation about the death of Hama’s senior leader, Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed that the US was not “aware of or involved in” the death of Haniyeh, and he reiterated his calls for a ceasefire and the release of Israelis being held captive by Hamas in Gaza.
Australia
Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles stated that Haniyeh was central to the activities that occurred on October 7, activities that we have consistently condemned.
“We have consistently been advocating for a ceasefire in the Middle East to put an end to the catastrophe that is playing out. We want to ensure that we do not see an escalation,” he added, “because the consequences of that would be profound,” The minister added.
China
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lin Jian, also condemned the incident and stated that the country is highly concerned about the incident and firmly opposes and condemns the assassination.
“Gaza should achieve a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire as soon as possible,” Jian said.
Egypt
Egypt’s foreign ministry said in the statement that the coincidence of the regional escalation with the lack of progress in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza increases the complexity of the situation and indicates the absence of Israeli political will to calm it down.
“The incident undercuts the strenuous efforts made by Egypt and its partners to stop the war in the Gaza Strip and put an end to the human suffering of the Palestinian people,” the minister said.
Qatar
Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who has led Qatar’s mediation efforts, wrote on X. “Political assassinations and continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue lead us to ask, How can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side? Peace needs serious partners.”
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed his strong condemnation of the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh and stated unequivocally that he will never condone such actions,” Sri Lanka’s presidential media service said in a post on X.
Yemen’s Houthi
The head of the Yemeni Houthis’ Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, expressed his anger over Israel’s “political assassination,” accusing Israel of committing a terrorist crime.
“Targeting Ismail Haniyeh is a heinous terrorist crime and a flagrant violation of laws and ideal values,” Ali al-Houthi said.
Hamas
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri stated, “This assassination by the Israeli occupation of Brother Haniyeh is a grave escalation that aims to break the will of Hamas and the will of our people and achieve fake goals. We confirm that this escalation will fail to achieve its objectives,” Al Jazeera reported.
“Hamas is a concept, an institution, and not a person. Hamas will continue on this path regardless of the sacrifices, and we are confident of victory,” Abu Zuhri added.
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