Hezbollah: Killing of Haniyeh strengthens resistance front’s resolve

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah says the assassination of the head of the political bureau of Hamas resistance movement, Ismail Haniyeh, will only strengthen the resistance front’s resolve.

The group expressed its deepest condolences over the assassination of Hamas’s leader, saying, "We commiserate with our brethren in Hamas over the loss of the great leader, voice our outrage over the Israeli enemy’s crimes, and take great pride in leaders of resistance groups … We are very assured that the divine promise of victory will come true."

Hezbollah praised Haniyeh as one of the greatest resistance leaders of time, who bravely stood up to the United States’ hegemony projects and the Zionist regime’s occupation plans.

“The martyrdom of Haniyeh will strengthen the determination and resolve of resistance fighters on all fronts, and will inspire them to continue the path of struggle and confront the Zionist enemy much more resolutely than ever,” Hezbollah asserted.

Yemen: Haniyeh’s assassination contravenes intl. law

The Yemeni Ansarullah resistance movement also condemned in the strongest terms Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran, saying that the killing contravenes principles and norms of the international law.

“The assassination of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran constitutes a terrorist crime, and a flagrant violation of the international law,” Ansarullah said in a statement broadcast by Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah satellite television network.

It added that the heinous and cowardly assassination of the Hamas leader is a dramatic loss for the Muslim world, especially at this critical juncture of confrontation with the Israeli enemy.

“We are determined to stand by Hamas and all resistance factions in resisting the US-sponsored Zionist aggression,” Ansarullah said.

The movement went on to state that the ongoing Israeli genocidal crimes and assassinations of leading resistance figures demonstrate the regime’s abject failure and absolute incapability in the Gaza war.

Ansarullah also called upon the Arab regimes that have normalized ties with Israel to awaken and work diligently to uphold the dignity of Muslims and support Palestine.

“We reiterate our pledge and determination to support Palestine and its cause. We will continue to follow the path of resistance until final victory.

“The crime of Haniyeh’s assassination will not deter the Palestinian nation and will not stop their resistance against the Zionist regime. Rather, it will increase their resilience and steadfastness,” the Yemeni movement underscored.

“Targeting Ismail Haniyeh is a heinous terrorist crime and a flagrant violation of laws and ideal values.” Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of Yemen’s Supreme Revolutionary Committee also said.

Qatar warns of ‘dangerous escalation’

Furthermore, Qatar condemned “in the strongest terms” the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran as a “heinous crime.”

The Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the assassination was a “dangerous escalation,” emphasizing it will “lead to the region slipping into chaos and undermine the chances of peace.”

Doha said considers it a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law.

Syria: Haniyeh killing in breach of Iran’s sovereignty, intl. law

The Syrian Foreign Ministry also denounced in the strongest terms Haniyeh's assassination, stressing that the targeted killing is in flagrant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and international law.

“The Zionist entity committed a new crime in the early hours of Wednesday, when it carried out a terrorist attack in the Iranian capital Tehran that resulted in the martyrdom of the head of the political bureau of Hamas resistance movement,” the ministry said in a statement.

“This despicable act came after a series of heinous Israeli attacks on several sites in the region, including the occupied Syrian Golan, Lebanon and Iraq, and amid the ongoing massacre of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,” it added.

The Syrian foreign ministry then warned against the outbreak of a full-blown regional conflict in light of Israel’s continued disregard for international principles, and its failure to comply with UN Security Council and the General Assembly resolutions.

“Syria supports the Islamic Republic of Iran and offers its condolences to the Palestinian nation, which is resisting the criminal Israeli aggression. It reaffirms its constant solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle and legitimate right to establish an independent state with al-Quds as its capital,” the statement also read.

Russia: Hamas leader killing 'unacceptable political murder'

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov also censured the killing of Haniyeh as “an absolutely unacceptable political murder.”

“This is an absolutely unacceptable political murder, and it will lead to further escalation of tensions,” he told RIA state news agency on Wednesday.

Bogdanov said the killing will also have a negative impact on the course of Gaza ceasefire talks.

Russia has frequently condemned the relentless Israeli offensives against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and taken a swipe at the United States for ignoring the need for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Zionist barbarism will fail: Erdogan 

For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Haniyeh's assassination a “despicable act” intended to undermine the Palestinian cause, Gaza's glorious resistance and Palestinians' just struggle.

“I strongly condemn and denounce the treacherous assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran,” Erdogan said.

“This assassination is a despicable act aimed at undermining the Palestinian cause, the glorious resistance of Gaza, and the just struggle of our Palestinian brothers, intending to demoralize and intimidate them,” the Turkish leader added.

“The purpose of this assassination is the same as the previous heinous attacks on Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, and many other political figures from Gaza; however, Zionist barbarism will once again fail to achieve its goals as it has in the past,” he pointed out.

Erdogan also called on the Muslim world and the international community to unite against “Israeli terrorism.”

“With a stronger stance of the Muslim world and unity of the international community, the oppression and genocide in Gaza and the terror Israel is spreading in our region will surely come to an end, and our region and the world will find peace,” said.

“For this purpose, Turkey will continue to explore all avenues, exert all efforts, and support our Palestinian brothers with all our means and strength. We will continue to work for the establishment of a free, sovereign, and independent State of Palestine, with East al-Quds as its capital, based on the 1967 borders," Erdogan said.

'Heinous' assassination

Separately, the Turkish Foreign ministry also condemned the killing as "heinous."

“We extend our condolences to the Palestinian people who have sacrificed hundreds of thousands of martyrs like Haniyeh in order to live in peace in their homeland under the roof of their own state,” the ministry said in a statement.

Haniyeh's assassination once again demonstrates that the Israeli regime led by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no intention of achieving peace, the statement added.

The ministry also warned that the region will face much larger conflicts if the international community does not take action to stop Israel, adding that Haniyeh's assassination aims to expand the conflict beyond Gaza to a regional scale.

It also reaffirmed Turkey's support for "the just cause of the Palestinian people."

China condemns assassination of Hamas chief Haniyeh

China on Wednesday said it condemned the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, warning it could lead to further instability in the West Asia region.

“We are highly concerned about the incident and firmly oppose and condemn the assassination,” Spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Lin Jian said.

“We are deeply concerned that this incident may lead to further instability in the regional situation,” he added, expressing his country’s support for “resolving regional disputes through negotiation and dialogue.”

“Gaza should achieve a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire as soon as possible to avoid further escalation of conflict and confrontation,” he noted.

China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and supportive of the so-called two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Earlier this month, China hosted representatives from Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah and several others in Beijing, where they signed an agreement to form a “national unity government” in post-war Gaza.

Hamas vows revenge after political leader Haniyeh assassinated in Tehran

Hamas acknoweges assassination of its Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital Tehran, pledgeing to respond to the atrocity.

Fatah military branch in Gaza condemns Haniyeh killing

The Abdul al-Qadir al-Husseini Brigades, the military branch of the Palestinian Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip, also condemned the assassination of Haniyeh in “a treacherous and cowardly Zionist raid” in the Iranian capital Tehran.

It emphasized that the late Hamas leader followed the path of fallen resistance fighters in the battle to defend the Palestinian cause.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced in a statement on Wednesday morning that Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed when their residence in the Iranian capital was hit in an attack.

The statement said the attack is under investigation and the results will be announced later in the day.

It also offered condolences to the heroic Palestinian nation, the Muslim Ummah (community) and fighters of the resistance front over the martyrdom of the senior Palestinian resistance leader.  

Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk