Massacre of Haniyehs children

‘Don’t Expect anything From Arabs’: Bereaved Wife Of Haniyeh’s Son Cries At Funeral

By Latheef Farook

Amidst growing tension between Iran and Israel threatening a wider conflict in the region. on Wednesday 10 April 2024  Palestinians celebrated Eid festival ,  though no appetite for  celebrations. On the same day, in the midst  of Israel’s raining death and destruction  three sons and three grandchildren of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, were slaughtered  by an Israeli raid on a civilian car in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.

According to Al-Jazeera, six people were killed while they were traveling in a car to congratulate family members on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr. The attack was carried out with a missile launched by a drone that directly targeted the car and killed everyone in it, except for one child who was slightly  injured and was  taken to Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital.

According to the Palestinian Shehab news agency, the victims were identified as Muhammad Haniyeh; Hazem Haniyeh and his daughter, Amal; Amir Haniyeh, his son, Khaled and his daughter, Razan. 

Ismail Haniyeh the head of  Palestinian freedom movement  Hamas’ political bureau who was in Qatar  learnt about the demise of his family during a visit to wounded Palestinian children who made it to Qatari hospitals in Doha. 

My children “stayed with our people in Gaza and did not leave the Strip. All our people and all the families of Gaza residents have paid a heavy price with the blood of their children, and I am one of them,”   said  Haniyeh who disclosed  that at least 60 members of his family were killed in the ongoing  US-European-Israeli genocide in Gaza backed by Arab dictators especially Saudi,Egypt,Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

Haniyeh’s reaction to the news was very well received by  by Palestinians as the qualities of a true Palestinian leader, and is being compared to the attitude and language of current Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, seen by most Palestinians as  corrupt  collaborator with Israel. 

“The occupation believes that by targeting the sons of leaders, it will break the resolve of our people. We say to the occupation that this blood will only make us more steadfast in our principles and attachment to our land.”Haniyeh added.

 “The enemy is delusional if they think that by killing my sons we will change our positions. The blood of my sons is not more precious than the blood of our martyred people in Gaza, for they are all my sons”.said Haniya who pointed out   that “the blood of my sons is a sacrifice on the path to liberating” Palestine.“We will not hesitate and will not retreat, and we will continue on our way to liberate Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa.”

Haniyeh stressed that Hamas would not withdraw its demands, which include a permanent ceasefire and a return of displaced Palestinians to their homes.“If they think that targeting my children at the peak of these talks before the movement’s [Hamas’s] response is submitted will cause Hamas to change its positions, they are delusional,” Haniyeh said, referring to Israel.

 These are not the first members of Haniyeh’s family to have been killed in the war. Another son was reportedly killed in February, while his brother and nephew were killed in October, followed by a grandson in November.

Ismail Haniyeh  ,born in the Shati refugee camp in 1962, was the head of the Hamas list that won the Palestinian legislative elections of 2006, and  became Prime Minister of the State of Palestine. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas  who has become US Euopean Israeli stooge  implementing their evil  agenda against Palestinian people,dismissed Haniyeh from office in June 2007.

In another  iconic reaction  the  bereaved Wife of Ismail Haniyeh’s son Hazem   one of Haniyeh’s assassinated children, which has been shared widely on social media and cited by Al-Jazeera stated   that “Don’t Appeal to the Arabs’ .

 Hazem’s wife a had a powerful message of her own. 

“Give your greetings to all the martyrs,” Hazem’s wife said, while bidding farewell to her husband and children. “We are among the patient (of God’s creations). I offered you to Allah, and may Allah (aid) me in my calamity. “They failed (the Israelis) because Hazem lives. He did not die,” she continued.

As stated her  most poignant message was addressed to the Arab countries, which are not showing any support for the people of Gaza, despite six months of genocidal Israeli war. “No one should appeal to the Arabs. They are the ones who need us; we don’t need them. They are the dead, and we are the living. You are the living and they are the dead,” she said, while touching the bodies of her husband and children.

“May Allah have mercy on you, Abu Amr (her husband),” she concluded, in a final message to her slain husband saying   “Your Eid is in heaven, my dear.”

Ever since US-UK, France, Germany and Israel supported by Arab dictators  launched genocide of Palestinians in Gaza on 8 October 2023 at least 33,634 Palestinians were killed and 76,214 injured  .The wa also damaged or destroyed approximately 62 percent of all homes in Gaza – 290,820 housing units – leaving more than a million people without homes. Nearly all of the 2.3 million population displaced from their homes. Famine is “projected and imminent” in some areas, a UN-backed report said last month.

Pro Israeli western media and and  Muslim and anti Hamas Arab media refused to highlight this crime. No Arab leader condemned the massacre. Only Malaysian Preime Minister Anvr Ibrahim vehemently condemned it Ends

One commentator said “Netanyahu’s desire to cling to power led him to form a coalition with far right religious parties, one of which wanted him to “nuke” Gaza. The damage one man’s ambition has done to the region and the whole world is incalculable and dates back to the faked information he provided at the beginning of the millenium to persuade the US to invade Iraq.