Australian leaders react to Haniyeh assassination
The political leader of Hamas was killed alongside one of his bodyguards in Iran.
Liberal Senator Dave Sharma has described slain Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh as “like [what] Osama bin Laden was to Al Qaeda, he’s the pinup person for Hamas”.
Hamas confirmed a report on Wednesday by Iran’s state TV that Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran. In a statement, the Islamist terror group said they mourned the death of Haniyeh, who it said was killed in “a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran.”
Speaking to Channel 7’s Sunrise on Thursday, Sharma called the assassination “a gross failure of Iran’s security measures … especially as he was a guest in their country.”
“Israel, whilst they haven’t taken responsibility for this attack, they’ve made clear that they view all those who are responsible for October 7 as legitimate military targets. And Ismail Haniyeh was high up on that list.”
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told reporters on Wednesday, “Hamas is a terrorist organisation. This individual was central to the activities which occurred on October 7, activities which we have consistently condemned.
“That said, we have consistently been advocating for a ceasefire in the Middle East,” he said.
“And clearly, in this moment, we are very much advocating, using our voice in the global community to advocate against any escalation in what’s occurring in the Middle East.”
Haniyeh, along with one of his guards, was visiting Iran for the swearing-in of the new Iranian president and was reportedly killed at his (Haniyeh’s) Tehran residence, according to an IRGC statement.
“With condolences to the heroic nation of Palestine and the Islamic nation and the combatants of the Resistance Front and the noble nation of Iran, this morning [Wednesday] the residence of Mr. Dr. Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political office of the Islamic Resistance of Hamas, was hit in Tehran, and following this incident, he and one of his bodyguards were martyred,” the IRGC statement read.
The flag at the Iranian embassy in Canberra was flying at half-mast on Thursday.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said the death “of arch terrorist Haniyeh is a blow to the forces of evil on par with the deaths of Al-Baghdadi and Bin Laden”.
“This is a man who planned and authorised hundreds of suicide bombings targeting buses and cafes, and helped turn Gaza into an enormous terrorist camp that heaped misery on Gazans and has terrorised Israelis for years,” he said.
“Like every despot, he has bathed in obscene wealth, luxuriated in fine villas and private jets while bemoaning the predicament of his people. The world is a better place now that Haniyeh is finished. As we say of cold-blooded mass killers like Haniyeh, may his name be blotted out and may all those whose lives have been ruined by this evil man find solace and peace.”
ZFA CEO Alon Cassuto said Ismail Haniyeh “was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians, and no peace-seeking person should mourn him”.
“Removing the leader of a proscribed terrorist organisation should be welcome news to the international community, and every step towards dismantling Hamas is a step closer to ending the war,” he said.
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein, who is currently in Israel with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, said that since the 1990s Haniyeh had been “at the centre of all of Hamas’ multitude of crimes against humanity”.
“These include the suicide bombings of the Second Intifada, the bloody Hamas coup against Fatah in Gaza, the numerous wars Hamas initiated, the many thousands of rockets fired from Gaza at Israeli civilians and, of course, the October 7 atrocities,” Rubenstein said.
“He is responsible for the deaths of many thousands of Israelis and Palestinians and for widespread destruction in Gaza. At the same time, he enriched himself at the expense of his long-suffering people, amassing an estimated net worth of US$4 billion.
“His death will contribute to Israel’s ongoing degradation of Hamas’ ability to wage war, terrorise Israelis and oppress its own people.”
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