Mideast countries condemn assassination of Hamas leader in Iranian capital

By Xinhua Published: Aug 01, 2024 10:45 AM

People take part in a protest against the assassination of Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh in the West Bank city of Hebron, on July 31, 2024. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday denounced the assassination of Haniyeh as "a cowardly act and a dangerous development," calling on the Palestinian people to "unite, be patient and steadfast in the face of Israel," according to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA. (Photo: Xinhua)

Countries in the Middle East on Wednesday strongly condemned the alleged Israeli attack earlier in the day that killed Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

Haniyeh and his bodyguard were killed early Wednesday when their residence was hit in Tehran, according to a statement by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, adding the attack was under investigation and the results would be announced later.

The Israeli army has no comment on the incident yet.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced the assassination of Haniyeh as "a cowardly act and a dangerous development," calling on the Palestinian people to "unite, be patient and steadfast in the face of Israel," according to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA.

Meanwhile, Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said on social media platform X that, "We consider it a cowardly act," which "pushes us to remain more steadfast in the face of the occupation and achieving the unity of the Palestinian forces and factions."

The Palestinian National and Islamic Forces on Wednesday declared a general strike across Palestine, condemning the assassination, according to WAFA.

Describing the attack as a "terrorist act," the Syrian Foreign Ministry highlighted in a statement that the "heinous act" follows a series of Israeli assaults on various locations in the region, including the occupied Syrian Golan, Lebanon, and Iraq.

The ministry further denounced the attack as a violation of Iranian sovereignty and "a blatant breach of international law."

In a post on social media platform X, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "strongly condemned the treacherous assassination" of Haniyeh, saying the act was "a despicable attempt to undermine the Palestinian cause, the resistance of Gaza, and the rightful struggle of our Palestinian brothers."

The Turkish president called for a united stance from the Islamic world to end the "oppression" in Gaza, adding his country will continue to support the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital

A statement issued by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said, "This aggressive operation is a flagrant violation of international laws and a threat to security and stability in the region."

The ministry called on the international community to be responsible and take necessary measures to stop the repeated attacks and violations of the sovereignty of states, the statement said.

Jordan said this act, a violation of international law and international humanitarian law, is "a provocative crime" that will lead to more tension and chaos in the region, according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry.

Sufian Qudah, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed Jordan's position in condemning political assassinations, violence, and terrorism regardless of their motives.

Qudah also expressed Jordan's condolences to the State of Palestine and its people, and to the family of Haniyeh and his companion, may they rest in peace.

In a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Egypt said the dangerous Israeli escalations in the past two days "will ignite confrontations in the region in a way that causes serious security consequences."

"The coincidence of this regional escalation amid lack of progress in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza increases the complexity of the situation, indicates the absence of Israeli political will for achieving calm, and undermines Egypt and its partners' efforts to stop the war in the Gaza Strip," it said.

In a press conference, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf condemned the "treacherous and heinous terrorist act," describing the "blatant disregard for basic humanitarian, legal, political, and ethical norms" as "appalling."

Attaf also extended his deepest condolences and sympathy to the Palestinian people, noting that the Algerian people share in their suffering during this difficult time.

Since Oct. 7 last year, Israel has been launching a large-scale strike on Hamas.

According to Gaza health authorities, the Israeli offensive has led to the killing of over 39,445 Palestinians in the enclave, while the UN estimated that nearly 2 million people there have been displaced.