Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh visited a theme park exhibition of sites from the ‘Axis of Resistance’ hours before his assassination in Iran. He was seen with Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhleh.
The ‘Axis of Resistance’ is an Iranian-led coalition that includes Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and allied forces in Syria and Iraq. The coalition aims to counter Western influence in the region, particularly from the US and Israel. The coalition seeks to counter what it describes as aggression and interference by these powers, advocating a Middle East free from external control. Iran plays a central role in providing crucial military support, training and funding to the other members.
Iranian media has released a video of Haniyeh’s visit a few hours before his death. In this, he is seen talking to journalists.
A video released by Iranian media shows that hours before the killing, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh visited a theme park exhibition of sites from the “Axis of Resistance” with Ziad al-Nakhleh, the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. pic.twitter.com/Jk7rqTARbD
– Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) July 31, 2024
The Hamas leader and one of his bodyguards were killed on Wednesday morning in an airstrike on the building where they were staying. On Tuesday, Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Hamas has blamed Israel for the attack. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement, “This killing of brother Haniyya by the Israeli occupation is a severe attack aimed at breaking the will of Hamas.”
Israel previously vowed to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders in response to the group’s attack on southern Israel on October 7. Since then, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed some 39,400 people and wounded 90,923 others.
Earlier, Haniyeh’s three sons, Hazem, Amir and Mohammed, were killed on April 10 this year when their car was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Hamas said Haniyeh also lost four of his grandchildren – three girls and a boy.
