Palestinians call for massive strike to condemn assassination of Haniyeh

Palestinians have called for a general strike in condemnation of the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in a cowardly attack by the Israeli regime.

"The national and Islamic factions in Palestine announce a comprehensive strike and anger marches to (protest) the assassination of the great national leader Ismail Haniyeh, which came in the framework of Zionist state terrorism and its war of extermination," Palestinian factions in the occupied West Bank said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

In response to the call, flags across the occupied West Bank are to be flown at half-mast.

Shops and businesses remained mostly shuttered in response to the strike call across several Palestinian cities. 

Employees of government ministries in Ramallah left their offices in response to the strike call. Cultural institutions would remain closed.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators marched through Ramallah.

They chanted, “The people want Qassam Brigades,” a reference to the military wing of Hamas.

Open support in Ramallah for Hamas is rare. Ramallah is the administrative capital of the occupied West Bank and is governed by the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority – long at odds with Hamas over the governance of the two Palestinian territories.

Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of Hamas, was assassinated in Tehran in the early hours of July 31.

Iran urges global action to take Israel to task over Haniyeh assassination

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said the attack is another manifestation of the aggressive nature of the “criminal mafia ruling the occupied land of Palestine.”

President Abbas censures assassination of Haniyeh

In an unusual display of solidarity with his main political rival, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority condemned the assassination, describing it as “a cowardly act and a dangerous development”. 

The president also called on Palestinians to unite and “be patient and steadfast in the face of the Israeli occupation”.

The prime minister's office in Ramallah also condemned "the treacherous assassination" of Haniyeh, and called on Palestinians to remain united "in the face of the (Israeli) occupation".

In December 2023, an opinion poll showed Haniyeh would defeat Mahmoud Abbas by a massive margin for the position of President of the State of Palestine – 78 percent for Haniyeh and 16 percent for Abbas – pointing to the growing popularity of the Hamas resistance leader.

Profile: Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas leader who pushed Zionist entity to brink of extinction

The life and legacy of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of Hamas, will continue to inspire the forces of resistance against the Zionist occupation.

‘They killed peace, not Ismail Haniyeh’

Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip are mourning the assassination.

“This man could have signed the prisoner exchange deal 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, said the killing shows Israel does not want to end the war and establish peace in the region.

“By assassinating Haniyeh, they are destroying everything,” she said.

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