The worldwide neighborhood was left shocked by the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran on Wednesday.
The killing comes at a important time in Israel’s genocidal conflict on Gaza and prompted many international locations to warn that it might set off a wider regional conflict.
Iran’s supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “harsh punishment” for Israel over Haniyeh’s killing within the capital Tehran.
“With this action, the criminal and terrorist Zionist regime prepared the ground for harsh punishment for itself, and we consider it our duty to seek revenge for his blood as he was martyred in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Khamenei stated in a press release carried by the IRNA official news company.
Newly elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Iran “will defend its territorial integrity, honor, pride and dignity, and make the terrorist invaders regret their cowardly action.”
Both actors Qatar and Türkiye have been additionally fast to sentence the killing and warned of “chaos.”
Haniyeh was based mostly in Qatar, which has been a mediator within the Gaza battle but additionally hung out in Türkiye after going into exile. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry referred to as the killing a “heinous crime” and “shameful assassination.”
The ministry stated: “This assassination and the reckless Israeli behavior of continuously targeting civilians in Gaza will lead to the region slipping into chaos and undermine the chances of peace.”
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned what he referred to as the “perfidious assassination” of his “brother” Haniyeh.
“This shameful act aims to sabotage the Palestinian cause, the glorious Gazan resistance and our Palestinian brothers’ just fight, and to intimidate Palestinians,” Erdoğan added in a social media put up.
Egypt in its response stated that the Israeli escalation indicated a scarcity of political will for de-escalation.
An announcement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated this escalation, together with making no progress in Gaza cease-fire talks was complicating the state of affairs.
“The coincidence of this regional escalation with the lack of progress in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza increases the complexity of the situation and indicates the absence of Israeli political will to calm it down,” the assertion stated.
“It undercuts the strenuous efforts made by Egypt and its partners to stop the war in the Gaza Strip and put an end to the human suffering of the Palestinian people,” it added.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that reaching a cease-fire within the Gaza conflict “is the enduring imperative” after the killing of Haniyeh.
Germany careworn worldwide requires restraint to keep away from “a regional conflagration,” with a overseas ministry spokesman saying: “The logic of tit-for-tat reprisals is the wrong path.”
Russia, China condemn
Haniyeh went to Moscow in September 2022 for talks on the Israel-Palestinian battle whereas Hamas and rival Palestinian faction Fatah held talks in Beijing final week.
“It is a completely unacceptable political assassination, and this will lead to a further escalation of tensions,” Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov advised the state-run RIA Novosti news company.
Konstantin Kosachev, the vice-president of Russia’s higher home Federation Council, predicted a “sudden escalation of mutual hatred” within the Middle East.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated: “We are highly concerned about the incident and firmly oppose and condemn the assassination.”
Major shock
The killing reverberated throughout the Middle East. Egypt’s overseas ministry stated that Israel’s “dangerous escalation” in latest days “risks igniting a confrontation in the region that could yield to dire security consequences.” Iraq’s Foreign Ministry additionally referred to as Haniyeh’s killing “a threat to security and stability in the region.” Oman additionally condemned the motion.
Hamas allies within the area, within the meantime, rallied across the Palestinian resistance group.
“The martyrdom of leader Haniyeh … will increase the determination and stubbornness of the mujahideen resistance fighters on all resistance fronts … and will make their resolve stronger in confronting the Zionist enemy,” Lebanese group Hezbollah, who’re in a rising standoff with Israel, stated in a press release.
The group described Haniyeh as “one of the great resistance leaders of our time who stood bravely against the American hegemony project and the Zionist occupation.”
“Targeting him is a heinous terrorist crime and a flagrant violation of laws and ideal values,” stated Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, a political bureau member of Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers referred to as Haniyeh’s dying “a great loss.”
Pakistan, in the meantime, stated the killing of the Hamas political chief was a “reckless act,” describing his assassination as “terrorism.”
“Pakistan views with serious concern the growing Israeli adventurism in the region. Its latest acts constitute a dangerous escalation in an already volatile region and undermine efforts for peace,” Islamabad’s Foreign Ministry stated in a press release.
Malaysia additionally unequivocally condemned “all acts of violence, including targeted assassination,” and urged all peace-loving nations to affix in denouncing such acts.
“The incident underscores the urgent need for de-escalation and reinforces the necessity for all parties to engage in constructive dialogue and pursue peaceful resolutions,” a authorities assertion stated.
Source: www.dailysabah.com