Hamas Chief’s Car Hit by Israeli Airstrike, Killing 3 Sons and 2 Grandchildren

The three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh – Hazem, Amir, and Mohammad – were killed in a car bombing in Gaza’s Al-Shati camp. Additionally, two of Haniyeh’s grandchildren were also killed in the attack and a third was wounded, according to Hamas media.

Haniyeh, in an interview with pan-Arab Al Jazeera TV, stated that Hamas will not alter its position despite the attack on his sons and grandchildren. Haniyeh emphasized that the blood of his sons is no more valuable than the blood of the Palestinian people.

He has been based in Qatar and has been the prominent face of Hamas’ international diplomacy amid the ongoing war with Israel, which saw his family home destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in November. Hamas announced that it was examining an Israeli ceasefire proposal but deemed it “intransigent” as it did not meet the Palestinian demands.

The group seeks an end to Israeli military operations and a withdrawal from Gaza, as well as permission for displaced Palestinians to return home. Haniyeh’s eldest son confirmed the deaths of his three brothers in a Facebook post.

Haniyeh, who assumed the group’s top position in 2017, has been shuttling between Turkey and Qatar to bypass Israeli travel restrictions in Gaza and partake in the ceasefire negotiations. Israel considers the entire Hamas leadership as terrorists and accuses them of orchestrating attacks.

It remains unclear how much Haniyeh was aware of the cross-border attack on Israel by Gaza-based operatives beforehand. The attack plan, developed by the Hamas military council in Gaza, was kept highly confidential, surprising some Hamas officials abroad with its timing and scale.