Muthomi Ireri
On Wednesday, demonstrators filled the streets of Istanbul, waving Palestinian flags and holding prayers to denounce the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the chief political figure of Hamas. The killing has triggered significant reactions and protests, reflecting its impact on regional tensions.
Feda Abdelhady, Deputy Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, condemned the violence inflicted on Palestinians by Israeli forces, citing ongoing horror and suffering.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Haniyeh’s assassination as a “despicable act” aimed at undermining the Palestinian cause and intimidating its people. Erdogan vowed to support Palestinians and pursue the creation of a sovereign State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.
In response, Jonathan Miller, Deputy Israeli Ambassador to the UN, defended the operation as necessary for Israel’s security and called for global solidarity with Israel. He urged Hezbollah to comply with UN Security Council Resolutions and cease attacks.
Haniyeh had been scheduled to address Turkey’s parliament in August. The suspicion immediately fell on Israel, which had previously vowed to target Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders in retaliation for Hamas’ October 7th attack on Israel, which ignited the conflict in Gaza.
Haniyeh had been in Tehran for the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian when he was killed. Iran has not yet disclosed details of his death, and the attack remains under investigation. Haniyeh had been in exile in Qatar since leaving Gaza in 2019. The current Hamas leader in Gaza is Yahya Sinwar, who orchestrated the October 7 attack.
Silverio Omari
