Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh lost three sons, grandchildren in Israeli airstrike in Gaza

Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas' political bureau, lost three sons and three grandchildren to an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in Gaza, according to the group and Haniyeh's family. Haniyeh resides in Qatar and is now the tough-talking face of Hamas' international diplomacy as war with Israel has raged on in Gaza for six months, resulting in widespread death and destruction in the besieged territory.

The three sons - Hazem, Amir and Mohammad - were killed after the car they were driving in was bombed in Gaza's Al-Shati camp, Hamas said. Three of his grandchildren were also killed in the attack, according to the Hamas-run media. A video was uploaded by Israeli channel



Haaretz showing Haniyeh being informed about the deaths of his sons and grandchildren.

Haniyeh accused Israel of acting in "the spirit of revenge and murder", saying his sons were "martyred on the road to liberating" Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. “The criminal enemy is driven by the spirit of revenge and murder and does not value any standards or laws,” he said in the phone interview with Al Jazeera TV.

“The enemy believes that by targeting the families of the leaders, it will push them to give up the demands of our people,” he said. “"Anyone who believes that targeting my sons will push Hamas to change its position is delusional".