Jailed Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtaş condemns Israel over Haniyeh assassination

Imprisoned Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş has extended condolences to the Palestinian people for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas’s political wing.

“Every life spent resisting oppression is meaningful and respectable. Ismail Haniyeh, one of the leaders of the Palestinian people, will always be remembered in this way,” says the statement released on Demirtaş’s X account.

“The Netanyahu administration has far exceeded the bounds of lawlessness, immorality, and vileness. I condemn the cowardly assassination of Haniyeh. I wish God's mercy upon him, and I extend my condolences to his family and the entire Palestinian people.”

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— Selahattin Demirtaş (@hdpdemirtas) July 31, 2024

Haniyeh was killed in Tehran yesterday after attending the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian state media reported early today that a missile struck the residence where Haniyeh was staying after the ceremony. Israel, widely believed to have been behind the assassination, has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.

The killing draw strong reactions from Turkey, with senior government officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, condemning Israel and declaring Haniyeh a ‘martyr.’ (VK)