Three sons and three grandchildren of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, Hamas-affiliated media reported.
According to Shebab, the two granddaughters and one grandson killed were the children of two of the three sons killed. Their deaths were later confirmed by Haniyeh in an interview with Al Jazeera. The Israel Defense Forces also acknowledged their deaths.
The outlet reported that the six were killed when their vehicle was hit by a drone strike.
Haniyeh resides in Qatar along with most of Hamas’s leaders, where they have remained throughout the war.
The IDF announced the strike was intentional, targeting the three members of Hamas.
“Earlier today, directed by IDF and [Israel Securities Authority] intelligence, [Israeli air force] aircraft struck three Hamas military operatives that conducted terrorist activity in the central Gaza Strip,” it announced on Telegram on Wednesday.
“The three operatives that were struck are Amir Haniyeh, a cell commander in the Hamas military wing, Mohammad Haniyeh, a military operative in the Hamas terrorist organization, and Hazem Haniyeh, also a military operative in the Hamas terror organization,” it continued. “The IDF confirms that the three operatives are the sons of Ismail Haniyeh, chairman of Hamas’s political bureau.”
The senior Hamas figure accused Israel of being “driven by the spirit of revenge and the spirit of murder and bloodshed” in an interview with Al Jazeera. He claimed that 60 of his family members had been killed in the war.
“We’ve seen it violate everything on the land of Gaza,” Haniyeh said, referring to Israel. “There is a war of ethnic cleansing and genocide. There is mass displacement.”
He accused Israel of intentionally targeting his family members and vowed that the attack wouldn’t change Hamas’s position on the war.
“The enemy believes that by targeting the families of the leaders, it will push them to give up the demands of our people,” he said. “Anyone who believes that targeting my sons will push Hamas to change its position is delusional.”
“Their pure blood is for the liberation of Jerusalem and Al Aqsa, and we will continue to march on our road, and will not hesitate and will not falter,” Haniyeh added. “With their blood, we bring about hopes, a future, and freedom for our people and our cause.”
Hamas’s Telegram channel revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had called Haniyeh to express his condolences, along with other Turkish political figures. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas also called to express his condolences.
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The same day, Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz warned the struggle against Hamas could take generations, though the organization itself was militarily defeated.
“The war with Hamas will take time. Youth in middle school will one day fight in the Gaza Strip, as in Judea and Samaria, and against Lebanon,” he said. “But the truth must be clear, and the head must be high for our achievements: military-wise — Hamas is defeated. Its fighters are eliminated or in hiding. Its abilities are cut off, and we will continue to hit whatever’s left. Victory will come, step by step. We are on our way to it, and we won’t stop.”
