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Three sons of the political chief of the Hamas Movement, Ismail Haniyeh, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on April 10.
The three were killed when the vehicle they were driving in was bombed in the al-Shati refugee camp, northwest of Gaza City, Haniyeh told Al Jazeera. Shehab news agency said that at least three grandchildren of the leader were killed in the airstrike. A driver was also killed.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet security agency later confirmed in a joint statement killing the three men, claiming they were operatives in Hamas. According to the IDF and Shin Bet, Amir Haniyeh was a squad commander in the Hamas military wing, while Hazem and Mohammad Haniyeh were lower-ranking operatives, also in the military wing. The statement didn’t did not mention anyone else being killed in the strike.
The trio were “en route to carry out terror activity in the area of central Gaza” when they were struck, the IDF alleged.
However, the Hamas-run government media office said that the Haniyeh family had been “carrying out social and family visits on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr,” before the vehicle was struck. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and is one of the most important holidays on the Islamic calendar.
Haniyeh, who is largely based in Qatar, said in a statement that the killing the sons of leaders would only make Hamas “more steadfast in our principles and adherence to our land.”
“Whoever thinks that by targeting my kids during the negotiation talks and before a deal is agreed upon that it will force Hamas to back down on its demands, is delusional,” Haniyeh added.
Haniyeh added that Hamas was not afraid of a planned Israeli invasion of Rafah, in the southernmost part of Gaza. About 1.5 million Palestinians are estimated to be sheltering in the small city after fleeing fighting in other parts of the Strip.
Hamas would “not surrender, and … not compromise … no matter how great our sacrifices are,” the leader said.
The killing of Haniyeh’s sons and grandchildren drew condemnations from all over the Middle East, including Hamas’ top ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
According to the latest update by the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, at least 33,482 Palestinains have been killed and more than 76,049 others have been wounded since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza. Most of the victims are women and children.
The targeting of Haniyeh’s family was likely meant to boost the morale of the Israeli public and amass more domestic support of the war which has entered its seventh month without achieving anything but death and destruction.
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