Enemies deluded to think assassinations would divert resistance from its path: Hamas

Hamas’ representative in Iran says the resistance’s enemies are gravely mistaken to think that assassination of resistance leaders would cause it to deviate from its path.

Khaled Ghadoumi made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Saturday.

He was addressing the Israeli regime’s recent assassination of the Palestinian resistance movement’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, which took place in the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday.

The idea that such atrocities would afflict weakness on the resistance “is a miscalculation [on the part] of our enemy,” Ghadoumi said.

“They (the enemies) are deluding themselves, when they say that killing Ismail Haniyeh [and other resistance leaders] will divert us from his path,” he added.

“The enemy should know very well” that such atrocities would even serve to “intensify our own belief,” said the Palestinian official.

’Hit-and-run era over’

Ghadoumi, meanwhile, asserted that Haniyeh’s assassination would not go unanswered.

“Iran is a sovereign state,” he noted. “You cannot go and commit extra-territorial assassination in cold blood and [in] violation of the international law and the diplomatic norms…and then escape with your crime,” said the representative.

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“This is a crime that has to be dealt with decisively.”

US role

Ghadoumi underlined the contribution that had been made to the atrocity by the United States, the Israeli regime’s biggest ally.

The crime was done with “direct cover by the Americans,” he said, referring to the US as the party that “signed the assassination order.”

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The official also strongly denounced the unashamed support that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received during a recent trip to Washington that preceded the assassination.

“Netanyahu is a war criminal,” but “instead of punishing him, they awarded him by clapping,” Ghadoumi said, referring to the standing ovation that the Israeli premier received at the US Congress while he was defending the regime’s deadly aggression against Palestinians.

The American applause amounted to “a slap against humanity,” he stated.

World should stand up to Israel

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ghadoumi urged global response to the Israeli atrocity.

“The revenge should be from the international community, not only from Iran and the resistance,” he said.

“The [United Nations] Security Council should have convened [by now],” and acted on its duty under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter that urges action on the part of the world body with respect to threats to peace, breaches of peace, and acts of aggression, Ghadoumi underlined.

“This is the responsibility of the humanity. They should not allow anyone to destabilize the global security,” he added.

The official, however, also regretted that “when it comes to Israel, there are no laws. When it comes to Israel, then there is nothing to be respected.”

He was pointing to the US and its allies’ protection of the regime against international punitive measures, including numerous UN resolutions that have obliged Tel Aviv to respect the Palestinian rights.

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