Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s three sons, grandchildren killed in Israeli strike on Gaza
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Israel-Hamas war: In an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic, the Hamas leader confirmed the death of his sons saying that they were “martyred on the road to liberating Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh confirmed that three of his sons and a number of grandchildren had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Wednesday (Apr 10), in an interview. He also accused Israel of acting in “the spirit of revenge and murder.”
Haniyeh, 61, who is based in Qatar, has 13 sons and daughters according to Hamas sources. He said in the interview that “the blood of my sons is not dearer than the blood of our people”.
Haniyeh, who was appointed to the top job of Hamas in 2017, travels between Turkey and Qatar’s capital Doha to avoid Israeli-imposed travel restrictions in Gaza and has been acting as a negotiator in the ceasefire negotiations as well as with Hamas’ main ally Iran.
Israeli strike in Gaza
The three sons – Hazem, Amir and Mohammad – of the Hamas leader were killed after the car they were travelling in was bombed in Gaza’s Al-Shati camp, the Palestinian militant group said, as per Reuters.
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A report by Hamas media also said that two of Haniyeh’s grandchildren were also killed in the attack and a third was wounded.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic, the Hamas leader confirmed the death of his sons saying that they were “martyred on the road to liberating Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
“Through the blood of the martyrs and the pain of the injured, we create hope, we create the future, we create independence and freedom for our people and our nation,” said Haniyeh.
He also said around 60 members of his family, including nieces and nephews, have been killed since the beginning of the war.
“The enemy believes that by targeting the families of the leaders, it will push them to give up the demands of our people,” said Haniyeh, adding that “anyone who believes that targeting my sons will push Hamas to change its position is delusional.”
The Hamas leader currently lives in Qatar in exile and is originally from Shati. Notably, Haniyeh has been the tough-talking face of the Palestinian militant group’s international diplomacy amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The Hamas leader’s eldest son, Abdel-Salam Haniyeh, took to Facebook and confirmed the deaths of his three brothers. “Thanks to God who honoured us by the martyrdom of my brothers, Hazem, Amir and Mohammad and their children.”
Israeli military confirms deaths
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson for the Arab media, Avichay Adraee, in a post on X, confirmed the killing of three sons of the Hamas leader.
“The IDF and the General Security Service eliminated three members of the military wing of Hamas in the central Gaza Strip. The three members are the sons of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas political bureau,” said Adraee.
(With inputs from agencies)