By Mustafa Haboush
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Palestinian resistance group Hamas denied Tuesday reports suggesting the appointment of a new successor to its assassinated leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on July 31 after he attended the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president.
Hamas and Iran accused Israel of carrying out Haniyeh’s assassination, while Tel Aviv has not confirmed or denied its responsibility.
Media reports emerged that the Palestinian group had appointed a new leader after Haniyeh’s killing.
“These reports are untrue,” senior Hamas member Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement.
“Hamas will announce the results of its consultations regarding the appointment of a new leader once they are concluded,” he added.
On Saturday, Hamas said that its leadership had begun extensive consultations to select a new political chief.
Regional tensions have escalated as Israel continued its devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip despite a UN Security Council demanding an immediate cease-fire.
More than 39,650 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 91,600 injured, according to local health authorities.
Ten months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul