Palestinians waving flags and holding banners march during a demonstration over the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismael Haniyeh, in Hebron, West Bank, July 31, 2024. /CFP
Fears of retaliation and the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza into a broader Middle East war grew as Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on Wednesday morning.
Haniyeh, normally based in Qatar, had been participating in internationally brokered indirect talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made no mention of Haniyeh's killing in a televised statement on Wednesday evening but stated that Israel would respond with overwhelming force to any counter-attacks following the killings of Haniyeh and Fouad Shokor, a top military commander of Hezbollah in Beirut.
Netanyahu declared that the country is prepared "for any scenario," adding that it "will exact a very heavy price against any aggression—from any front."
The latest developments appear to set back the chances of an imminent ceasefire agreement in the nearly 10-month-old conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Hamas' armed wing stated that Haniyeh's killing would "take the battle to new dimensions and have major repercussions." Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that Israel had laid the groundwork for "harsh punishment for itself" and that it was Tehran's duty to avenge Haniyeh's death.
Washington expressed concern about the potential for escalation. However, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby stated that the U.S. did not see this as imminent or inevitable and was working to prevent it.
Palestinians carry the portrait of Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh as they stand on the debris of a destroyed building, belonged to Ismail Haniyeh, following the Israeli attack in Al-Shati refugee camp of Gaza City, Gaza, July 31, 2024. /CFP
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday urged regional de-escalation in the Middle East in the interest of long-term peace and stability for all.
"The secretary-general believes that the attacks we have seen in South Beirut and Tehran represent a dangerous escalation at a moment when all efforts should be directed toward a ceasefire in Gaza," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the secretary-general, in a statement.
Egypt and Jordan on Wednesday urged the UN Security Council to adopt a binding resolution compelling Israel to cease its attacks in the Gaza Strip and halt its "continued violations" of international law.
During a phone conversation, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi held Israel responsible for the dangerous escalation in the region as a result of "its aggression on the Gaza Strip, violations of international law, illegal practices in the West Bank, and political assassinations," the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated.
Residents in besieged Gaza also feared that Haniyeh's death would prolong the fighting in the besieged enclave. "This news is scary. We feel that he was like a father to us," Gaza resident Hachem Al-Saati told Reuters.
According to Gaza-based health authorities, the Israeli offensive has resulted in the killing of 39,445 Palestinians in the enclave, while the UN estimated that nearly 2 million people there have been displaced.
UN agencies estimated that the reconstruction of Gaza will take more than a decade and cost tens of billions of U.S. dollars.
According to the UN, 96 percent of Gaza's population is food insecure. Since the conflict began, more than 600,000 children have been out of school, and more than 350 schools have been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes. All 12 local institutions of higher education were damaged or destroyed.
(With input from Xinhua, Reuters, AFP)