'What My Father Told Before He Was Assassinated': Ismail Haniyeh's Son, Abdul Salam Haniyeh (X image @SH_NasrallahEng)
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination caused a huge gash on the taut relationship between Iran and Israel, which are already on the brink of an all-out war. Iran has vowed “harsh revenge”, and Hamas promised that the “cowardly” movement of Israel will not go “unpunished”.
Hamas, the resistance group of Gaza, has repeatedly asserted that they are well prepared to lose their members on the path of liberation, and their assassinations will only strengthen the group’s fire to battle for their homeland, Palestine.
Abdul Salam Haniyeh, the eldest son of Ismail Haniyeh stressed the importance of the unity among the Palestinian ranks, which has been the major objective of his assassinated father, during an interview with Al Jazeera.
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“My father survived four assassination attempts during his patrotric journey, and today Allah has granted him the martyrdom that he always wished for. He was very keen to establish national unity and strived for the unity of all Palestinian factions and we affirm that this assassination will not deter the resistance, which will fight until freedom is achieved, “, said Abdul Salam.
He repeated his father’s words when the latter came to know about the killing of his three sons and grandkids by the Israelis: “The blood of my father is not more precious than the blood of children, men and women who are martyred in Gaza”.
He also said, “we offer our condolences to the nation, the free people of the world and the Palestinian people for the martyrdom of father who took the same path (taken) by the Palestinian people…This path can only end in the victory or martyrdom”.
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He added that his father’s blood is that of the needed sacrifice on the road to liberation, citing those who preceded him, and who died in a similar manner, including “the founding leader, the martyr Ahmed Yassin, the founding leader Abu Ammar (Yasser Arafat), Fathi Shikaqi, Abu Ali Mustafa, and others who gave their blood on the …road to liberation”, as quoted by Palestinian Chronicle.
Commenting on earlier assassination attempt on his father, Abduls Salam Haniyeh recalled his father’s words. He said, “We have resigned ourselves to his martyrdom, as (my) father told us every day to resign ourselves to any piece of news that we may receive (of his assassination)”, as quoted by Palestine Chronicle.
He called on all “all the brothers in the Palestinian leadership who met in Beijing to move towards national unity for all our people, as the cruel enemy does not differentiate between a Palestinian and another.”
(With inputs from Palestine Chronicle)
