Palestine condemns assassination of Hamas leader Haniyeh

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Top Palestinian officials including President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday condemned the assassination of the head of the Hamas group's political bureau Ismail Haniyeh, calling it a "dangerous development."

In a statement cited by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday strongly condemned the assassination of Hamas leader, calling it "a cowardly act and a dangerous development."

Abbas called on the Palestinian people "to unite, be patient and steadfast in the face of the Israeli occupation."

The secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Hussein al-Sheikh, also condemned Haniyeh's assassination.

He said his assassination pushes the Palestinian people "to remain more steadfast in the face of the (Israeli) occupation, and the necessity of achieving the unity of the Palestinian forces and factions."

Mustafa Barghouti, head of the Palestinian National Initiative party, mourned Haniyeh, and condemned Israel for committing such "heinous crime."

"The Palestinian people today lost a brave patriot leader, known for his integrity and straightforwardness, and for his honest care to national unity," Barghouti said in a statement.

The Fatah Movement, led by President Abbas, also condemned Haniyeh's assassination, defining it as a coward act.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas announced early Wednesday that Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his residence in the Iranian capital Tehran.

Israel has made no immediate announcement about the assassination.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar