China condemns killing of Hamas leader Haniyeh, ‘deeply concerned’ about further turmoil
He also repeated a call for a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza to avoid further escalation of the conflict.
Hamas said on Wednesday that Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli strike in Iran, where he had been attending the inauguration of the country’s new president.
Haniyeh’s death is a major setback for Hamas and casts a shadow over future negotiations with Israel, as tensions escalate across the Middle East due to the devastating war in Gaza. Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the assassination, but Israel has not yet officially commented.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will defend its territorial integrity and honour, and would make the terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly action,” he said in a statement posted on X.
Mousa Abu Marzook, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, has vowed to avenge the martyrdom of Haniyeh, asserting that the “cowardly” assassination would not go “unanswered”.
As the political leader of Hamas, Haniyeh played a crucial role as a key interlocutor with Egyptian and Qatari mediators during the stalled hostage and ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
The attack occurred less than 24 hours after Israel claimed to have killed Hezbollah’s top military commander, Fuad Shukur, in an air strike on a southern Beirut suburb, sparking fears of wider conflict in the region. Israel had blamed Shukur for a deadly attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
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The Lebanese government expected Hezbollah to retaliate over the Israeli strike, reports said. A Lebanese minister said a plan was in place to address the potential large-scale displacement of people in Lebanon.
The foreign ministry in Qatar, which has also condemned the killing, called the attack “a dangerous escalation”.
The Qatari ministry added that Haniyeh’s assassination and Israel’s “reckless targeting of civilians in Gaza are likely to lead the region into chaos and undermine the chances of peace”.
China has historically supported the Palestinian cause and advocated for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Additional reporting by Reuters