“The Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the terrorist act committed by the savage Zionist regime in assassinating Izz al-Din al-Haddad, commander-in-chief of the Qassam Brigades, along with his wife and child, and extends its congratulations and condolences over the martyrdom of this great fighter and his wife and child on the path of the divine and humanitarian cause of Palestine to the leadership of the Hamas movement, the resilient and patient Palestinian nation, and all Muslims and freedom-seekers around the world,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“This terrorist act and similar assassinations are part of Israel’s criminal scheme for the colonial erasure of Palestine, and the United States, as the biggest military, financial, and political supporter of the Zionist apartheid regime, is complicit in each and every one of these crimes,” it added.
“The cowardly assassination of Palestinian leaders and elites is a clear sign of the desperation and helplessness of a regime that, despite committing the most horrific crimes and massacring hundreds of thousands of innocent people over the past eight decades, has failed to extinguish the spirit of resistance against apartheid occupation and brutal colonialism in the minds and hearts of the Palestinian people, to the extent that Palestinians are now more determined than ever to fight for the realization of their human rights, especially the right to self-determination,” the statement said.
“There is no doubt that the physical elimination of resistance commanders and Palestinian elites will not disrupt the school and path of resistance in any way; rather, it will inspire the followers and fighters on the path of Palestine’s dignity and freedom,” the ministry stated.
Hamas on Saturday confirmed the killing of Izz al-Din al-Haddad in an Israeli attack a day earlier.
Hamas said al-Haddad was killed along with his wife, his daughter, and other Palestinian civilians on Friday evening.
The Israeli strikes targeted the Remal neighborhood west of Gaza City. Three Palestinians were killed in a strike on a civilian vehicle, and four others died in a strike on a building, medical sources said.
Hamas said al-Haddad’s killing marks the latest Israeli breach of the Gaza “ceasefire” agreement, as well as its “ongoing aggression against innocent civilians” in the enclave.