The Israeli army says it struck and killed three sons of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, saying they had been working as operatives for the militant group contained in the Gaza strip.
A press release from the army stated the airstrike occurred Wednesday. It described the boys as a cell commander and two army operatives.
Haniyeh’s sons are among the many highest-profile figures to have been killed within the struggle between Israel and Hamas.
The three sons — Hazem, Amir and Mohammad — had been killed after the automobile they had been driving in was bombed in Gaza’s Al-Shati camp, Hamas stated. Three of Haniyeh’s grandchildren had been additionally killed within the assault and a 3rd was wounded, Hamas media stated.
Haniyeh confirmed the deaths in an interview with the Al Jazeera satellite tv for pc channel.
“The legal enemy is pushed by the spirit of revenge and homicide and doesn’t worth any requirements or legal guidelines,” Haniyeh stated within the telephone interview.
In his interview with Al Jazeera, Haniyeh stated the killings wouldn’t stress Hamas into softening its positions.
“The enemy believes that by concentrating on the households of the leaders, it can push them to surrender the calls for of our folks,” he stated. “Anybody who believes that concentrating on my sons will push Hamas to alter its place is delusional.”
Haniyeh lives in exile in Qatar, the place Al Jazeera relies. Hamas’s Al-Aqsa TV station aired footage of Haniyeh receiving the information of the deaths whereas visiting wounded Palestinians who’ve been transported to a hospital in Doha.
As an aide obtained the information on his telephone, Haniyeh nodded, appeared down on the floor and slowly walked out of the room.
“There isn’t a would possibly and no energy however by God,” Haniyeh muttered. “Could God make issues simple for them.”
Haniyeh’s eldest son confirmed in a Fb put up that his three brothers had been killed. “Due to God who honoured us by the martyrdom of my brothers, Hazem, Amir and Mohammad and their youngsters,” wrote Abdel-Salam Haniyeh.
Israel nonetheless planning to go to Rafah, minister says
Al-Aqsa TV stated Hazem, Ameer and Mohammed Haniyeh had been killed with relations within the strike close to the Shati refugee camp in Gaza Metropolis. Ismail Haniyeh is initially from Shati.
The brothers had been travelling with relations in a single car focused by an Israeli drone, Al-Aqsa TV stated, including {that a} complete of six folks had been killed, together with a daughter of Hazem Haniyeh, and a son and daughter of Ameer.
It was not instantly clear how their deaths would possibly have an effect on the months-long ceasefire talks being brokered by worldwide mediators.
Earlier, Israeli struggle cupboard minister Benny Gantz claimed Hamas has been defeated militarily, though he additionally stated Israel will combat towards it for years to return.
“From a army perspective, Hamas is defeated. Its fighters are eradicated or in hiding” and its capabilities “crippled,” Gantz stated in an announcement to the media in Sderot.
However, he added: “Combating towards Hamas will take time. Boys who are actually in center college will nonetheless combat within the Gaza Strip.”
Gantz reiterated the Israeli authorities’s dedication to enter Rafah, the town within the far southern tip of the Gaza Strip the place greater than half the territory’s inhabitants of two.3 million folks is now sheltering. “Wherever there are terrorist targets — the IDF might be there,” he stated.
The strike got here as Palestinians in Gaza marked a muted Eid al-Fitr vacation ending the holy fasting month of Ramadan, visiting the graves of family members killed within the struggle. Within the Jabaliya refugee camp close to Gaza Metropolis, folks sat quietly by graves surrounded by buildings destroyed in Israel’s offensive, which was in response to the lethal Hamas-led assault on Oct. 7.
Israel launched the struggle in response to the assault, throughout which militants killed 1,200 folks, principally civilians, and took roughly 250 folks hostage, in keeping with Israeli authorities.
Greater than 33,400 Palestinians have been killed within the relentless preventing, in keeping with Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its depend however says many of the useless are ladies and youngsters. Israel says it has killed some 12,000 militants, with out offering proof.
The struggle has ignited a humanitarian disaster. A lot of the territory’s inhabitants has been displaced and with huge swaths of Gaza’s city panorama levelled within the preventing, many areas are uninhabitable.