Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday confirmed that three of his sons had been killed earlier in the day by an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip.
“I thank God for this honor that he bestowed upon us with the martyrdom of my three sons and some grandchildren,” Haniyeh is quoted as saying to Al Jazeera as a response to the deaths.
Al-Aqsa TV, a station run by the Palestinian militia Hamas, reported that Hazem, Ameer and Mohammed Haniyeh were killed with other family members in the strike near the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.
According to Al-Aqsa TV’s report, the brothers were riding in a vehicle that was struck by an Israeli drone. In addition to the bothers, a daughter of Hazem Haniyeh and a son and daughter of Amir were also reportedly killed in the incident.
Newsweek reached out to Israel’s Ministry of Defense via email for comment.
Photo by AFP via Getty Images
Haniyeh once served as prime minister of the Palestinian Authority before he was dismissed from the post by the group’s President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007. In 2017, Haniyeh was elected chairman of Hamas’ political bureau.
The Associated Press (AP) referred to Ismail Haniyeh’s sons as being “among the highest-profile figures to be killed in the war” that began after Hamas led a surprise attack on Israel on October 7.
Over 1,200 people were killed and another 253 taken hostage in the assault, while Gaza health officials say that Israel’s actions have caused the deaths of more than 33,000 Palestinians, as cited by the AP.
While speaking with Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based Haniyeh said his sons’ deaths will be used as motivation for Hamas’ cause.
“Their pure blood is for the liberation of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, and we will continue to march on our road, and will not hesitate and will not falter,” he said. “With their blood, we bring about hope, a future and freedom for our people and our cause.
“Our demands are clear and specific and we will not make concessions on them. The enemy will be delusional if it thinks that targeting my sons, at the climax of the negotiations and before the movement sends its response, will push Hamas to change its position.”
The Hamas chief also said his group would not withdraw its demands of a permanent ceasefire and the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes.
He added, “The blood of my sons is not dearer than the blood of our people…All the martyrs of Palestine are my children.”
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.