"Israel Was Never Serious About Making Peace": Yvonne Ridley On Ismail Haniyeh's Assassination (image@yvonneridley)
Yvonne Ridley, an award-winning British journalist, condemned the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. She said the act showed that Israel was never serious about making peace. Recalling her meeting with the political head of the resistance group of Gaza, she asked “why would anyone kill the one man who could deliver peace?”
Ridley, the independent candidate from Newcastle during the UK election, said she met and interviewed Haniyeh on several occasion. She called Haniyeh a “pragmatist & universally admired by those who met him”, and asked “why would anyone kill the one man who could deliver peace?”
Also Read: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Extends Condolences For The Martyrdom Of Ismail Haniyeh
She said Haniyeh presented her with a diplomatic Palestinian passport. The journalist ended her not with words, “Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un (Indeed we belong to Him, and indeed to Him we return).
The murder of #IsmailHaniyeh shows #Israel was never ever serious about making peace. I met him on several occasions & interviewed him in Gaza. A pragmatist & universally admired by those who met him, why would anyone kill the one man who could deliver peace? He presented me with… pic.twitter.com/v1WjAsbk7Y
— Yvonne “NewcastleCentral&West” Ridley (@yvonneridley) July 31, 2024
The assassination of Haniyeh put the ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel into doubt as the Hamas leader was a critical figure in the negotiation between Israel and Gaza.
Haniyeh was involved in the ceasfire and hostage release talks, so now the political analysts such as Jeremy Bowen are suggesting that now the deal “is not going to make those any easier”.
Haniyeh had already lost his three sons and four grandchildren in an Israeli attack on April 10.
Yvonne Ridley has been a fierce supporter of Palestine. She is a journalist and author, and provides analysis on affairs related to the Middle East, Asia and the Global War on Terror. Her work has appeared in numerous publications around the world from East to West from titles as diverse as The Washington Post and Tehran Times.
