Tel Aviv: Senior Hamas leader and political head of the terrorist group Ismail Haniyeh has reportedly sought Pakistan’s help in the ongoing war with Israel. Pakistan media reported that describing Pakistan as brave, he said that if Israel faces resistance from Pakistan, then the crime of cruelty can stop. Expressing hope for Pakistan’s support for Hamas, Haniyeh called the country a land of mujahideen (people fighting for Islam).
Underscoring the sacrifices made by Palestinians in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Haniyeh said Pakistan’s strength could potentially stop the conflict, according to the report.
The top Hamas leader stressed the importance of opposing Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip among countries that closely follow the Holy Quran. He said Israel’s actions, including the arrest of approximately 16,000 Palestinians and the desecration of holy sites, were a violation of international norms.
Ismail Haniyeh also expressed disappointment over the non-implementation of the Oslo Accords, citing Israel’s increased occupation of Palestinian territories. According to the report, he also justified Hamas’s October 7 attack as self-defense and said it stopped Israel’s occupation plans.
Haniyeh said Palestinians have high expectations from Pakistan and expressed confidence in the country’s strength. He said Hamas was countering Israel’s most advanced weapons, and showed determination about the Palestinian terrorist group’s success in derailing Israel’s intentions. In his speech, he also called Jews the biggest enemy of all Muslims around the world.
Haniyeh has been the tough-talking face of Hamas since the war began. Born in Gaza’s al-Shati refugee camp in 1962, his parents fled their home during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Hamas leaders are now based in Qatar.
Hanieh, who has been associated with Hamas since his college days, was appointed head of the terrorist group in 1997. Since then, he has risen through the ranks and was also the head of the group that won the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 and became prime minister.
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Ismail Haniyeh at the height of the Fatah–Hamas conflict in June 2007, but the Hamas leader did not accept the order and continued to exercise the post of prime minister in Gaza, despite both Became one. Following the brutal October 7 attack, footage emerged showing Haniyeh celebrating and enjoying the massacre in Israel with other Hamas officials. Haniyeh’s home in Gaza was destroyed by Israeli warplanes last month.
