Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday killed three adult sons of the head of Hamas’s political leadership, Ismail Haniyeh, during the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr. This attack could complicate a U.S.-led plan for a cease-fire in the six-month-old conflict in Gaza.
Israel stated that its warplanes targeted the three sons because they were members of Hamas’s military wing. Hamas, however, claimed that seven people died in the strike, including four of Haniyeh’s grandchildren. The group said the airstrikes hit a car in the Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, which was on a social visit for Eid, the holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Haniyeh expressed gratitude for the honor bestowed upon them by God through the martyrdom of his three sons and some grandchildren, in a video statement posted by Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera.
The three men were named as Hazem Ismail Haniyeh, Amir Ismail Haniyeh, and Muhammad Ismail Haniyeh. Hamas officials denied that they were members of Hamas. Haniyeh, who shares power with a military wing in Gaza, has 10 other children, according to these officials.
The killing of Haniyeh’s sons on a Muslim holiday could increase diplomatic pressure on Israel, which is negotiating the terms of a temporary cease-fire with Hamas. Hamas has largely rejected the U.S. plan, according to mediators. Instead, Hamas stated that it would propose its own roadmap for a permanent end to the war with Israel.
The disagreement illustrates the wide gap between the two parties regarding a deal and demonstrates Hamas’s growing confidence in its negotiating position.
Hamas seeks a permanent cease-fire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages held in the strip. Israel has indicated openness to negotiate on a temporary truce but wants the option to continue its military campaign afterward.
It remains unclear whether the deaths will significantly impact the dynamics of negotiations, as decision-making over the war has primarily focused on the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, and the group’s military wing.
Haniyeh heads Hamas’s Doha-based political leadership, which consists of about 15 members and determines Hamas’s military and political direction via consensus.
Haniyeh stated that the deaths of his sons on Wednesday would not affect the group’s negotiating stance. He said, "The enemy is delusional if it thinks that by killing my sons, we will change our positions," in a statement posted on Hamas’s Telegram account.
The Israeli military's decision to target Haniyeh’s sons, despite the risk of destabilizing the cease-fire talks, reflects Israel’s strategy in this conflict of targeting high-value individuals at the expense of other strategic objectives.
Iran accused Israel of an airstrike in Damascus at the beginning of the month that killed senior Iranian military officials. The strike threatened to escalate conflict between Israel and Iran at a time when the U.S. is seeking de-escalation in the region.
Israeli strikes have previously killed relatives of other senior Hamas leaders in this conflict and in previous ones. In December, an Israeli strike killed the son of Marwan Issa, the No. 3 official in Gaza. Last month, Israeli officials reported that Issa was killed in an airstrike targeting anyone involved in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Several Middle Eastern leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority and one of Haniyeh’s political rivals, sent condolences to Haniyeh.
The U.S. cease-fire plan, presented by Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns to officials from Israel, Hamas, Qatar, and Egypt in Cairo, proposes a six-week cease-fire in Gaza. During this period, Hamas would release 40 hostages in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, including 100 serving long sentences on terrorism-related charges. Israel's war cabinet discussed the U.S. proposal and expressed openness to using it as a basis for talks.
Hamas officials expressed concern with the U.S. plan, stating that it does not address the end of the war. Hamas previously proposed a deal that involved releasing women, children, and elderly hostages in return for the release of some Palestinians in Israeli jails, among other conditions.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after a Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that Israeli officials say killed around 1,200 people in Israel, most of them civilians. Palestinian health officials reported that more than 33,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since the Israeli offensive began. Israel is under pressure to end its military campaign and ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Israel has increased the level of aid flowing into Gaza in recent days to address a hunger crisis. The Israeli military’s humanitarian coordination unit stated that about 400 trucks a day had entered the strip in the past few days, compared to a daily average of roughly 121 trucks during the war. Israel’s defense minister said that Israel aims to send up to 500 trucks of humanitarian aid daily to Gaza in the near future, emphasizing that Israel takes the United States very seriously in this matter.