Arab Journalists And Liberals Welcome Assassination Of Hamas Political Bureau Head Isma'il Haniyeh: He Was A Terrorist Who Conspired With Iran; Now It's The Turn Of Sinwar, Mash'al And Nasrallah

The news that Isma'il Haniyeh, the head of Hamas' political bureau, had been eliminated while visiting Iran for the inauguration of the country's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, sparked many and varied reactions in the Arab world. Commenting on their X accounts, many Arab journalists and liberals welcomed the assassination, saying that he was a terrorist who had conspired with Iran and betrayed his people, and therefore "the long arm of Israeli justice" had reached him. Some also wondered when other resistance axis leaders, such as Hamas chiefs Yahya Sinwar and Khaled Mash'al, and Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, will meet the same fate.

The following is a sampling of these reactions:

Lebanese-Iraqi Journalist: 'Israel's Long Arm Of Justice Killed Haniyeh… Big News! Now Only Sinwar And Mashal Remain'

Lebanese-Iraqi journalist Hussain Abd Al-Hussain, who lives in the U.S. and is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), shared an English-language post on his X account in which he wrote: "Israel's long arm of justice killed Ismail Haniyeh while in Tehran (participated in inauguration of new Iranian Prez). Big news!"

In another post he wrote: "Haniyyeh gone. Three more to go: Yehia Sinwar and brother Muhammad and Khaled Mishaal. Then negotiations will be with Qatar and Al-Jazeera only."[1]

Saudi Journalist: The Long Arm Of Israel Embarrasses The Iranian Axis

Referring to several recent Israeli attacks – the airstrike against Yemen's Al-Hudaydah Port, the airstrike that killed Hizbullah military chief Fuad Shukr in the Dahiyeh, Hizbullah's stronghold in Beirut, and the suspected Israeli assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in the heart of Tehran, Saudi journalist Saleh Al-Fahid wrote sarcastically on his X account: "The long arm of Israel is embarrassing the strategic tolerance group!!"[2]

Lebanese Journalist: When Will It Be Nasrallah's Turn?

Lebanese journalist and TV host Maria Maalouf shared on her X account an image of an ace of diamonds playing card bearing a picture of Ismail Haniyeh, with his face crossed out with a red X, and commented in English: "[The house of cards is] falling apart. When is our friend's in Lebanon turn [apparently a reference to Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah]?"[3]

Yemeni Journalist Praises Assassination Of Haniyeh And Calls On Netanyahu To Finish The Job In Yemen

Yemeni journalist Hani Salem Mashour wrote on his X account in Hebrew: "With all due congratulations, Mr. Netanyahu, for your impressive success in beheading the evil in Iran and in Lebanon, we remind you all of the need to finish what you have started in Yemen."[4]

Saudi Journalist Mocks Haniyeh: He Was Assassinated In The Appropriate Place, He Arrived In Paradise Roasted

In a post on his X account, Saudi journalist Fahd Deepaji wrote: "Ismail Haniyeh was killed in the appropriate place…"[5]

In another post, he shared an image depicting Haniyeh arriving in Paradise and meeting other slain members of the Islamic resistance axis, and commented: "He arrived roasted."[6]

London-based Saudi journalist Ghassan Ibrahim, the founder of the Global Arab Network, also wrote mockingly: "It appears that Israel also participated in congratulating the new Iranian president [upon his inauguration], but in its own way."[7]

Egyptian Liberal Journalist: Israel Is Fighting This War On Behalf Of All Of Us In The Middle East

Egyptian liberal journalist Dalia Ziada wrote in English: "As I said before, October 7 was the beginning of the end for #Hamas and July 27 [the day of the Majdal Shams massacre in which 12 Israeli Druze children were killed in a Hizbullah missile attack] is the beginning of the end of #Hezbollah. #Israel is fighting this war on behalf of all of us in the Middle East region and it is WINNING. Just imagine how much innocent blood is now saved by ending the terrorist life of Hamas leader Isamil Haniyeh, who once said: 'The blood of the women, children and elderly […] we are the ones who need this blood, so it awakens within us the revolutionary spirit, so it awakens with us resolve.'"[8]

Kuwaiti Liberal Slams His Country's Foreign Ministry For Condemning The Assassination And "Protecting A Terrorist"

Kuwaiti liberal journalist Jasem Al-Juraid slammed the Kuwait foreign ministry for issuing a condemnation of Haniyeh's assassination, writing, "This is the first time I've seen our foreign  ministry defending a terrorist who was staying in the stronghold of Islamic fascism in Iran. It is [Iran] that bore the primary responsibility for the security of its guest…"[9]

Saudi Journalists: Haniyeh Conspired With Iran And Betrayed His People

Posting on his X account, Saudi writer and poet Dr. Muhammad Al-Quaiz wrote, "Isma'il Haniyeh is dead. He wasn't killed on the front in Palestine, or in any Arab country. He was killed while conspiring with another enemy [of the Arabs, i.e., Iran] in the capital of conspiracy and treachery [Tehran]."[10]

Saudi journalist Ibrahim Al-Suleiman shared a post from Haniyeh's son, Abd Al-Salam, who wrote that, in death, his father had achieved his aspiration and that the assassination would not put a stop to the resistance against the enemy. Al-Suleiman responded: "Oh, Abd Al-Salaam, you should hand out the billions you are [about to] inherit to the people of Gaza who stand firm on their land and who have paid the price of [Haniyeh's] escapades with [their] blood. This, in order to compensate for his fleeing he war zone to stay in hotels and manage his assets, [worth] billions."[11]

Saudi researcher Kassab Al-Otaibi slammed Haniyeh for his loyalty to Iran at the expense of the Palestinian people and the Arab countries, writing: "Personally, I did not rejoice over Haniyeh's death, even though he and his movement harmed my country, especially through their political and military support for the Houthis,  as evident from speeches, images, videos and positions. He lost his compass and Hamas, as a whole. Threw itself into the arms of Iran and adopted its political, intellectual and ideological perceptions. He was assassinated as a result of an easy, cold-blooded betrayal, after [Iran's Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei gained total control of Hamas and its decisions, the latest of which was the decision to [launch] the October 7 [campaign] that completely destroyed Gaza and caused it to be occupied and its people to be killed and displaced…"[12]