3 sons, 2 grandchildren of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh killed in Israeli airstrike on car amid Gaza war

First Published Apr 10, 2024, 10:46 PM IST | Last Updated Apr 10, 2024, 10:46 PM IST

In a significant development amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, three sons of the Palestinian terrorist organization's leader Ismail Haniyeh were reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Wednesday. According to Hamas and Haniyeh's family, three sons - Hazem, Amir and Mohammad - were killed after the vehicle they were driving in was bombed in Gaza's Al-Shati camp. According to Hamas media, the attack also claimed the lives of two of Haniyeh's grandkids and injured a third.

"Our demands are clear and specific and we will not make concessions on them. The enemy will be delusional if it thinks that targeting my sons, at the climax of the negotiations and before the movement sends its response, will push Hamas to change its position," Haniyeh told pan-Arab Al Jazeera TV.

"The blood of my sons is not dearer than the blood of our people," said Haniyeh, who is based abroad in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar.

Haniyeh's eldest son took to Facebook as well to confirm that his three brothers were killed. "Thanks to God who honoured us by the martyrdom of my brothers, Hazem, Amir and Mohammad and their children," wrote Abdel-Salam Haniyeh.

Since the war with Israel broke out in October 2023 in Gaza Strip, where Haniyeh's family home was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, the Hamas leader has been the tough-talking face of the Palestinian group's international diplomacy.

On Tuesday, Hamas announced that although it was "intransigent" and did not address any of the Palestinian requests, it was still evaluating an Israeli proposal for a truce.

In the midst of a seven-month conflict that has seen Israel's air and ground assault decimate Gaza, Hamas demands an end to Israeli military activity, an evacuation from the territory, and the ability of Palestinians who have been internally displaced to return home.

Since being appointed to the group's top position in 2017, Haniyeh has travelled back and forth between Turkey and Doha, the capital of Qatar, to avoid being restricted from leaving blockaded Gaza. This has allowed him to participate in the most recent ceasefire discussions and interact with Iran, Hamas' principal partner.

Israel accuses Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders of continuing to "pull the strings of the Hamas terror organization" and views the whole Hamas leadership as terrorists.

It's unclear, though, how much Haniyeh was aware of the cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, which was carried out by operatives located in Gaza. The attack plan was formulated by the Hamas military council in Gaza, and was kept so secret that its timing and scope appeared surprising to some Hamas officials overseas.

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