Netanyahu’s government wants a regional war: Palestinian legislator
Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian politician and the secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, says Haniyeh’s assassination marks a “grave development” that could spark a regional war.
“What you have in Israel now is a fascist government in every sense of the word, … and Israel is now trying to push the whole region into a global confrontation. What Netanyahu did is a clear indication that he wants a regional war and he wants to drag the United States into a confrontation with Iran, not only with Palestinians,” Barghouti said from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank
“What is most surprising is to hear a person like this secretary of defence from the United States, Lloyd Austin, saying that the United States will defend Israel. They’re allowing Israel to act as a criminal fascist, attacking and killing people in Lebanon, attacking and killing people in Tehran, attacking and killing Palestinians, committing terrible war crimes like genocide and collective punishment ,and yet they want to defend the criminal, the aggressor,” he said.
“That is really very serious, and it shows that the United States has no wisdom whatsoever in responding to what Netanyahu is doing.”
Intelligence used in assassination ‘suggests possible help of the US’
Al Jazeera’s Defence Editor Alex Gatopoulos says the intelligence used to locate and assassinate Haniyeh “suggests the possible help of the US”.
“Intelligence is key. Any weapon in the world is only as good as the intelligence that guides it. It can be as accurate as it likes,” Gatopoulos said. Technical intelligence would have supplied a location, “something they would have to act on quickly … [The US] obviously has the means and ability to collect this kind of intelligence,” he said.
The Mossad and Iranian dissidents are used for information on the ground, he added. “The means by which he died are almost irrelevant because it’s the intelligence that guided it.”
Kremlin warns Haniyeh killing could ‘significantly destabilise’ Middle East
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov says the Kremlin “strongly condemned” the killing of the Hamas chief.
“We believe that such actions are directed against attempts to restore peace in the region and could significantly destabilise an already tense situation,” he told reporters.
Earlier, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov called Haniyeh’s killing “an absolutely unacceptable political murder”.
Pakistan slams Israeli ‘adventurism’ in the region
The government of Pakistan has joined the chorus of countries condemning the assassination of the Hamas political leader, slamming Israel’s “adventurism in the region” and warning about the risk of an escalation.
“Pakistan views with serious concern the growing Israeli adventurism in the region,” read a statement from its Foreign Ministry. It warned that Israel’s “latest acts constitute a dangerous escalation in an already volatile region and undermine efforts for peace”.
The ministry also condemned the timing of the “reckless act”, which coincided with the inauguration of Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian – an event attended by several foreign dignitaries.
