World Leaders Condemn Killing of Hamas Chief Haniyeh

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas condemned the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday, describing it as a “cowardly act.” He called on Palestinians to stand united against Israel.

“President Mahmud Abbas of the State of Palestine strongly condemned the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, deeming it a cowardly act and a serious escalation,” his office said in a statement. “He urged our people and their forces to unite, remain patient, and stand firm against the Israeli occupation.”

The assassination has drawn widespread condemnation from global leaders. Russia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mikhail Bogdanov, labeled the incident an “unacceptable political assassination” and warned of further escalation. “It is a completely unacceptable political assassination, and this will lead to a further escalation of tensions,” Bogdanov told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.

Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Ministry also denounced the act, referring to it as a “shameful assassination.” The ministry’s statement emphasized the attack’s potential to extend the Gaza conflict to a broader regional context. “We condemn the assassination of the leader of Hamas’s political office, Ismail Haniyeh, in a shameful assassination in Tehran,” the statement read, adding that “this attack also aims to spread the Gaza war to a regional dimension.”

The assassination occurred after Haniyeh participated in the inauguration of Iran’s new president, according to a statement from Hamas. “Brother, leader, mujahid Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the movement, died in a Zionist strike on his residence in Tehran after he participated in the inauguration of the new (Iranian) president,” the group announced.