Ismail Haniyeh says that three of his sons were killed in an air strike
Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh has confirmed that three of his sons and four of his grandchildren were killed in an air strike in Gaza.
GAZA ( Web News )
At least three sons and four grandchildren of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh have been killed in an Israeli air attack on a Gaza refugee camp.
Haniyeh tells Al Jazeera that Palestinian leaders will not back down if their families are targeted by the Israeli army, and that the killings will not affect Hamas’s demands in ceasefire talks.
Starving Gaza residents hold muted Eid al-Fitr celebrations as Israel continues to block food deliveries and launch deadly air raids.
In his harshest criticism yet of the devastating war on Gaza, US President Joe Biden tells Israel to “just call a ceasefire” and describes ongoing military operations as a “mistake”.
At least 33,482 Palestinians have been killed and 76,049 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attacks stands at 1,139 with dozens still held captive.
Hamas-linked media said the car his sons were travelling in was hit in Al-Shati camp near Gaza City.
Haniyeh said that the incident would not change Hamas’s demands in talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire deal.
Israel’s military said the sons were members of Hamas’s military wing.
The group was reportedly on its way to a family celebration to mark the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid.
A statement from Hamas later said four of Haniyeh’s grandchildren – Mona, Amal, Khaled and Razan – were among those killed in what they called the “treacherous and cowardly” strike.
Haniyeh said he heard the news as he was visiting wounded Palestinians who had been taken for treatment to the Qatari capital, Doha, which is where the Hamas leader lives.
“The enemy will be delusional if it thinks that targeting my sons, at the climax of the [ceasefire] negotiations and before the movement sends its response, will push Hamas to change its position,” he told Al Jazeera.
In comments reported on Hamas’s Telegram channel, he thanked God for the “honour” bestowed on him by what he called the “martyrdom of his children and grandchildren”.
The latest proposal, which Hamas says it is analysing, reportedly includes the release of 40 Israeli hostages being held in Gaza in return for 900 Palestinians from Israeli jails.
These are not the first members of Haniyeh’s family to have been killed in the war. Another son was reportedly killed in February, while his brother and nephew were killed in October, followed by a grandson in November.
Hamas-led gunmen attacked Israel on 7 October, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage.
Israel says that of 130 hostages still in Gaza, at least 34 are dead.
More than 33,000 Gazans, the majority of them civilians, have been killed during Israel’s offensive in Gaza since the October attack, the Hamas-run health ministry says.