ALWAGHT- According to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel has assassinated Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh to extend its war on Gaza.
"There is no doubt that the purpose of Haniyeh’s assassination is to prolong the war and expand its scope," Abbas told Russia’s RIA state news agency in an interview published Tuesday.
He added, "It will negatively impact ongoing negotiations to end the aggression and withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza."
Abbas also urged Israel to cease its "aggressive actions" against the Palestinian people, comply with international law, and implement the Arab Peace Initiative, which offers Israel the chance to normalize relations with its Middle East neighbors in exchange for the liberation of the occupied Palestinian territories.
Ismail Haniyeh, the political bureau chief of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, was assassinated in Tehran on July 31, a day after attending the inaugural ceremony of President Masoud Pezeshkian.
