The news that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran by Israel was met with anger in Gaza and rare support for Hamas in Judea and Samaria.
Although Gazan civilians have often criticized their Hamas leadership for the ongoing war, many see Israel’s assassination of the October 7th mastermind as an end to the ceasefire agreement.
“This man could have signed the prisoner exchange deal with the Israelis,” says Saleh al-Shannar, who was displaced from his home in northern Gaza. “Why did they kill him? They killed peace, not Ismail Haniyeh.”
Although open support for Hamas is rarely seen in Judea and Samaria, hundreds of Palestinians marched in Ramallah with green flags to protest the death of Haniyeh, yelling, “The people want al-Qassam Brigades,” the force that Haniyeh commanded.
Support for Hamas is unusual in Ramallah, where the Fatah party, which is often at odds with Hamas, governs.
