As the assassination of Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh raises concerns about ceasefire negotiations, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have nonetheless expressed resilience and said they expect new leaders to emerge.
Early Wednesday morning, Haniyeh's residence in Tehran was hit in an airstrike after he attended the inauguration of Iran's new president, resulting in the death of the high-ranking Hamas official and a bodyguard.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps of Iran says Haniyeh was killed by an "air-launched guided projectile" that struck the building. The attack happened just hours after Israel's strike on Beirut, which killed Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr.
Shafiq Daher, a resident in Gaza, described Haniyeh's assassination as a significant loss and said he expects a reaction from regional players.
"It's an irreparable loss, there will not be as humble a leader as Ismail Haniyeh. Secondly, I believe his killing will have a strong impact on the negotiations. We hope that there will be a strong response to his assassination, whether from Iran, Hezbollah or even from Gaza," he said.
Abu Odeh, another resident, highlighted the resilience of the Palestinian cause, insisting that new leaders always emerge.
"The Palestinian issue is always a birth of new leaders, whether Ismail Haniyeh or someone else was killed. During the past years they have assassinated many leaders in most of the resistance movements, not just Hamas, and despite that, new leaders were born. This is the characteristic of the Palestinian cause and the characteristic of the people of Gaza who live with that," Odeh said.
Palestinians in Gaza display resilience following Hamas leader's assassination
