The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh: Perspectives from Iraq, Syria and Bahrain
The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh: Perspectives from Iraq, Syria and Bahrain
A Q/A with journalists and researchers who weigh in on the significance and impact of the murder of Hamas' chief political leader in Tehran on Wednesday.
Mouhamad Rachini, Lebanese-Canadian journalist
Q: Can you tell us who Haniyeh was, from the vantage point of people in Lebanon. How was he regarded?
Generally speaking, I think Haniyeh was well regarded by Lebanese Muslims, including the Shia Muslims that predominantly make up South Lebanon. Haniyeh and Hamas as a whole had a good relationship with Hezbollah, which is a Lebanese Shia political party and militant group that has good support among Lebanon’s Shia population in the country.
Q: Haniyeh was in Iran when he was assassinated by Israel. What significance does that hold?
It's a key moment in Iran. They were inaugurating their new president after their previous president was killed in a helicopter crash. There is a lot of tension right now between Israel and the negotiators and these groups that are backed and supported by Iran. So in a way, assassinating Haniyeh in Iran is like Israel’s way of trying to crash this party, of inaugurating the new president and trying to unnerve Iran.
It’s also significant because of what happened in Lebanon just under 11 hours or so before Haniyeh’s assassination. And this was the moment after Haniyeh got assassinated. That's a significant confrontation by Israel at a time when the majority of the world is against it, and it's feeling a lot of pressure, not even just from from who it deems its enemies, but also some of its allies.
Q: If we consider that top leaders of both Hezbollah and Hamas have just been killed in the space of 12 hours... what happens now, both in terms of the (apparent) Israel-Gaza ceasefire under way and, on a broader level, geopolitically in the region?
This throws a ceasefire completely out of the window, at least in the short term. Haniyeh was a senior leader of Hamas, and some news organizations are reporting that he was kind of the head honcho of Hamas. But there are several leaders within Hamas and each of them oversaw different purposes. They saw different goals for the group. For example, Muhammad Deif is the leader of the Hamas military wing - they’re the ones making decisions on the battlefield.
Haniyeh, on the other hand, is a politician. He's not a military leader. He wasn't in charge of day to day operations on the ground in Gaza, for example, because he lived in Qatar for a very long time. Haniyeh was the head of Hamas' political bureau. And even then, it was Yahya Sinwar who is the head of Hamas' political bureau in the Gaza Strip specifically. Haniyeh did have moderating influence on the military wing and did have moderating influence on Sanwar. But his assassination is unlikely to actually affect Hamas' military operations too much.
What it will impact is the ceasefire negotiations, because it's stuff like ceasefires, peace negotiations, political negotiations that fell under Haniyeh’s jurisdiction. So how exactly does Israel proceed with negotiating a ceasefire when they’ve apparently killed the guy that they're supposed to be negotiating with?
As for the greater geopolitics, I think this is a sign of Israeli desperation. They've suffered so many humiliations since they started their assault on Gaza. You know, Hamas is still standing, even though they’ve vowed to destroy Hamas. Israel hasn't taken control of Gaza like they seem so desperate to do. This assault has gone on for so long and killed so many innocent people that Israel's allies are now turning their backs towards them, and it's gone on so much longer than Israel and its allies have anticipated.
You know, they've been shamed and embarrassed on the world stage, through the reactions of global bodies, through the arrest warrants… European allies turning their backs on them. Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the world, was able to strike their capital.
And throughout it all, they have lost every single propaganda battle that they have tried to wage through the help of the U.S, and through sometimes the whether deliberate or not deliberate assistance of mainstream media.
Q: How have Arab governments responded to Haniyeh’s death?
The other two Arab countries involved in the negotiations, Egypt and Qatar, seem to have responded strongly to the assassination of Haniyeh. Egypt's foreign ministry said the coincidence of the regional escalation with the lack of progress and ceasefire negotiations shows the absence of Israeli political will to calm it down, and it undercuts Egypt and its allies strenuous efforts to end the human suffering of Palestinians.
Qatar's Prime Minister said that political assassinations, while peace talks continue, leads Qatar to ask how mediation can succeed when a party assassinates a negotiator on the other side. And they said that peace needs serious partners, implying, in a way that Israel is not a serious partner to peace in the region. I couldn't find any reactions from the other power players in the region, like Saudi Arabia, who've been pushing for peace with Israel for a while, or Jordan, which has gone as far as to help Israel by intercepting Iranian drones aimed at Israel earlier this year.
So what does their silence say? It’s clear that the rulers of these countries have been trying to stay out of this conflict for a long time and try not to get involved, so that they don't hurt their reputation or relationships with certain allies.
Q: On Tuesday, you made an observation on X/Twitter about the “sugarcoating” language being used by Sky News to describe Israel’s attack on south Beirut. What did you mean by that?
By calling Dahye a "Hezbollah stronghold" these organizations seem to be, intentionally or unintentionally, trying to make it seem like Israel just attacked a military base - that they just so happened to hit an area that was [populated] by 100% Hezbollah. It's not a military base. It is a neighborhood with an identity.
When news organizations don't even call it by its name, it comes across as if they are trying to make it seem like it was just a bunch of scary, grizzly, bearded Arab men in military uniforms that got killed, not a 74 year-old woman and two beautiful children aged 10 and six. If these news organizations want to be honest, they should mention in the headline that it was two children and an elderly woman who were killed, because this is a disgusting act that should never be justifiable.
The coverage right now seems to be focused on stroking fears about a regional war. There are a lot of headlines about Iran vowing a harsh punishment, of being on high alert… there should be more analysis of what this actually means for a ceasefire.
Mouhamad Rachini is a writer and producer for CBC Radio's digital team. He has worked for CBC Radio shows including Day 6 and Cross Country Checkup.
Ruba Ali Al-Hussaini, Iraqi-Canadian legal sociologist
Q: Can you tell us who Haniyeh was, from the vantage point of people in Iraq. How was he regarded?
Iraqis are divided about Muqawamah leaders. On one hand, Iraqi and Iranian leaders in the "Mihwar al-Muqawamah" (resistance axis) have been responsible for crushing the Tishreen movement [a broad-based protest movement in 2019 demanding systemic political reform] and assassinating Iraqi protesters. Haniyeh is obviously not one of them, but is resented by association. On another hand, some Iraqis see Haniyeh’s assassination as a great loss for Palestinian resistance. Either way, Iraqis generally support the Palestinian cause. Iraq is also officially the only Arab country that has never signed a peace agreement with Israel.
Q: Haniyeh was in Iran when he was assassinated by Israel. What significance does that hold?
It was a desperate show of power for Israel as it wanted to prove that it can reach any Muqawamah leader anywhere, even in Iran. Mind you, Israel still can't reach Nasrallah in Lebanon or Sinwar in Gaza. This is why Israel is desperate and lashing out. Haniyeh was not a military leader, but Sinwar is.
Q: If we consider that top leaders of both Hezbollah and Hamas have just been killed in the space of 12 hours... what happens now, both in terms of the (apparent) Israel-Gaza ceasefire under way and, on a broader level, geopolitically in the region?
Cool minds must prevail and push for a ceasefire. Sadly, it doesn't look like that will happen as Israel has no interest in a ceasefire. It only wants to escalate matters, which is what people fear. By striking Druze Syrians in the Golan and trying to pin it on Hezbollah, Israel tried and failed to trigger sectarian divisions. Ironically, we have Lebanese politicians to thank for that.
Q: How have Arab governments responded to Haniyeh’s death?
Many Arab governments have been complicitly silent for months and will continue to do so. They may issue the typical "less cool heads prevail" rhetoric to claim that they tried. I don't see them doing anything else. Syria won't get involved, but Iraq and Lebanon have much to consider as they are involved through the Muqawamah. Neither wants war, while Iran has already promised retaliation for the assassination of its guest on its soil.
Q: What do readers in the West need to understand about these developments that are unlikely to come through their own news coverage?
Readers in the West are not getting coverage of the crisis within Israel where people have been rioting *in defense of* raping Palestinian detainees. Readers need to know about the Knesset's discussion of whether raping Palestinian detainees is legal. The fact that there's debate around this should raise serious concerns and questions about Israeli society and how it has reached this point. Worse is that Western governments are silent about this violence as they support it with public monies and weapons.
Ruba Ali Al-Hassani is an interdisciplinary sociologist and a postdoctoral research associate at Lancaster University’s Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion.
Mazen Mahdi, journalist in Bahrain
Q: What was your reaction upon hearing about Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination by Israel?
I was furious. It is obvious that the assassination aims to widen and prolong the genocide in Gaza and divert attention away from it.
Q: Can you tell us who Haniyeh was, from the vantage point of people in Bahrain. How was he regarded?
For most Bahrainis, all Palestinian resistance leaders - be it military or political - are held to the highest regard. I can’t speak for all Bahrainis or even most of them, but it is safe to say that people here sympathize with the plight of their Palestinian brothers and sisters.
That is why they support, and will continue to support all the steps various resistance groups take in Palestine, without differentiating between them based on ideology or leadership. Which is what makes Haniyeh’s assassination - or any other Palestinian leader - useless and counterproductive for those who carry it out. People support the Palestinian cause - not specific leaders or groups.
Support for Palestine also transcends sectarian differences in Bahrain. It dates back to the 1930s and 1940s … not only Sunni and Shia are united about their support for them, you see that support regardless of class status, education level, background and authenticity. The righteousness of the cause is one of the few things that no one questions.
Q: Haniyeh was in Iran when he was assassinated by Israel. What significance does that hold?
Haniyeh represents his people and has a right and duty to carry their case to all corners of the world, including Iran. The Israelis might have chosen Iran as the site of the assassination because they are seeking to ignite a war with them and want to drag the US and their western allies into it. If they assassinated him in Qatar they would not achieve that and it would be obvious to the world that they would be sabotaging the hostage deal talks.
Q: If we consider that top leaders of both Hezbollah and Hamas have just been killed in the space of 12 hours... what happens now, both in terms of the (apparent) Israel-Gaza ceasefire under way and, on a broader level, geopolitically in the region?
Everyone can speculate how Iran and Hezbollah - and since the US also assassinated PMU leaders in Iraq in that same time frame [the PMU strike on Tuesday killed four members inside a base south of Baghdad used by Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Force, which is part of the Iraqi armed forces] - how the Iraqi resistance will also respond. Add the fact that Yemeni’s have already vowed revenge for Israel’s theatrical attack of Al-Hudayaydah Port on July 20, and it becomes obvious that the outcome definitely won’t be in Israel's favor, nor the United States.
Netanyahu seems to be operating under the assumption that Trump is coming back to power, which explains his mad dash to escalate, on the assumption that Trump would back him up.
Given Trump's history, and if he does make it to office, Israel's free ride on the back of US taxpayers money might be coming to an end. Hence, in the long term, what Netanyahu carried out in these past few hours - most likely with encouragement from Trump - makes any Israeli recovery to pre-October 7 status, almost impossible.
Q: How have Arab governments responded to Haniyeh’s death?
What they say or do makes zero difference on the ground.
The decades-long massacre of Palestinians has been live streaming for more than nine months now. I doubt it is lack of information that is preventing those who are supporting Israel or on the sidelines from making informed choices.
Ghina Rebai, human rights researcher in Beirut
Q: Can you tell us who Haniyeh was, from the vantage point of people in south Lebanon? How was he regarded?
Ismail was a leader who did not prefer his own interests to the interests of his homeland. In the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza, he lost three of his sons and at least four of his grandchildren, yet reacted to their martyrdom, just like he reacted to all other martyrs in Gaza. He did not act if his own family should have been immune, because he is a leader. And that is the main factor why many youth in our region choose to join resistance groups and struggles.
Q: Haniyeh was in Iran when he was assassinated by Israel. What significance does that hold?
Haniyeh was not the first resistance leader to be assassinated out of his country and on the land of an ally country. Resistance leader Qasem Soleimani was assassinated by the US in Iraq in 2020 and Lebanese resistance leader Imad Mughniyah in 2008 was assassinated by Israel in Syria. That signifies how Israel and the US have no respect for the countries and no diplomatic boundaries. And it also signifies that the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh was a double objective mission - an assassination and an assault for Iran. So today, both Hamas and the Iranian government have the right to respond, according to this association.
Q: How have Arab governments responded to Haniyeh’s death?
Haniyeh and Hamas in general were allies with Qatar (as a fellow Arab country) but Qatar did not take a sufficient enough stance in supporting them in the ongoing Israeli aggression. So we expect that Qatar will only condemn the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh. That's the way it's dealing with the Israeli aggression… so it’s not actually taking effective measures. It will resume going on like that. As for other Arabian countries, those who supported the Palestinian resistance from the beginning, like Yemen mostly, will still resume their support. While those who supported Israel in one way or another, either directly or indirectly, will resume their betrayal and nothing honorable from them is expected.
Q: What do readers in the West need to understand about these developments that are unlikely to come through their own news coverage?
As a Lebanese citizen, I would like to emphasize the significant role of the US as a major accomplice in the Israeli genocide on Gaza, in every Israeli war crime, anywhere and in every assassination that Israel is committing. If it wasn't for US support Israel would have exhausted all its capabilities within a relatively short period of time since the beginning of its aggression on Gaza, and wouldn't be able to resume it. People in the west need to be aware of their government's roles in supporting Israel war crimes and its atrocities, and they need to act accordingly, especially when they drop their votes in ballot boxes.
Ghina Rebai works for the Bahrain Forum for Human Rights.