Palestinians have gathered in various locations across the occupied West Bank to protest the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas. Haniyeh was killed early Wednesday morning in the Iranian capital, Tehran, along with a bodyguard, when the building where he was staying was attacked. Hamas has accused Israel of being behind the attack, but Israel has yet to comment on the situation.
The assassination, which comes about ten months into Israel’s ongoing war against Gaza, has sparked shock and anger among Palestinians. Demonstrations were held in cities including Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarem, Tubas, and Qalqilya. Protesters carried Palestinian flags as well as numerous green Hamas flags, chanting, “The people want the Qassam Brigades,” referring to the military wing of the group.
“This [assassination] will lead to some confusion, but our resistance will continue. More leaders will come to take responsibility, because this issue is not just ours, but the world’s,” said a woman in Ramallah to Al Jazeera. “We have become accustomed in our lives to witnessing the killings of leaders from our national factions, be they from Hamas or others like Fatah or the leftist movements,” added a man, emphasizing that the fight for freedom would persist.
Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority (Palæstinensiske myndighed), which is based in Ramallah, condemned Haniyeh’s assassination, calling it a “dangerous development.” Abbas urged the Palestinian people to “unite, be patient, and steadfast in the face of the Israeli occupation.”
Open support for Hamas in Ramallah is rare, as the city serves as the administrative capital of the occupied West Bank and is governed by the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, which has long had conflicts with Hamas.
Israel launched its attacks on Gaza with a promise to eliminate Hamas and kill its leaders following an attack by the group on October 7, which resulted in approximately 1,139 deaths and over 200 individuals taken captive in southern Israel.
In Deir el-Balah, located in central Gaza, Palestinians mourning Haniyeh’s death expressed that the assassination would complicate efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement. “This man could have signed the prisoner exchange agreement with the Israelis,” said Saleh al-Shannar, who was displaced from his home in northern Gaza. “Why did they kill him? They killed peace, not Ismail Haniyeh.”
Nour Abu Salam, a displaced woman, stated that the assassination demonstrated that Israel does not wish to end the war or establish peace in the region. “By killing Haniyeh, they are destroying everything,” she said.