Ismail Haniyeh, 61, was killed in Tehran in an Israeli airstrike (Dossier)
Haifa, Israel:
Concern grew among Israelis on Wednesday over the fate of dozens of hostages still held in Gaza following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The killing of Haniyeh “was a mistake because it jeopardizes the possibility of a hostage deal,” said Anat Noy, a 50-year-old resident of the coastal city of Haifa.
“We woke up today with a sense of fear in our hearts that this could escalate even further. There is no peace… we are afraid.”
On Wednesday, Hamas and Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced that Haniyeh, 61, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran.
He was in the Iranian capital on Tuesday to attend the swearing-in of President Masoud Pezeshkian.
As political leader of the Palestinian movement Hamas, Haniyeh oversaw negotiations for an agreement to end the war in Gaza and release hostages held in the area in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said Haniyeh's killing took the war with Israel to a “new level” and warned of “huge consequences for the entire region.”
The war began after an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel, killing 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures.
In addition, the agents seized 251 hostages, 111 of whom are still being held in Gaza. The Israeli military has confirmed that 39 of them have died.
At least 39,445 people have been killed in Gaza in Israel's retaliation against Hamas, according to the Hamas-ruled territory's Health Ministry. The ministry did not provide details of civilian and military deaths.
Time of the essence
Months of negotiations between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, with support from the United States, have failed to lead to a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.
Both Israel and Hamas blame each other for the delay in concluding the agreement.
“We will be happy when the hostages come home and the war is over,” said another Haifa resident, Avit Ben-Ishai.
Action group Hostages and Missing Families Forum acknowledged the military gains of the past 10 months of war, but said “real successes” could only be achieved when the hostages returned.
“Time is of the essence and we implore the Israeli government and world leaders to resolutely pursue negotiations,” said the statement issued after Haniyeh's killing was announced.
This is the time for a deal
Shahar Binyami, a Tel Aviv resident, said she was concerned about the response of Hamas and allies such as Lebanon's Hezbollah movement to Haniyeh's killing.
“What worries me now is the reaction of Hamas and Hezbollah,” Binyami, 25, told AFP, as she cancelled her plans to go to the beach out of fear.
“My partner had been on reserve duty in the north since September and was told to be on standby.”
An Israeli strike targeted Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in a building in a southern suburb of Beirut on Tuesday night, hours before Haniyeh was killed.
Shukr's death has not yet been confirmed by the Lebanese group.
Jacob, a Tel Aviv resident who would only give his first name, said he was not sure whether Haniyeh's killing would resolve the conflict.
“Our first goal must be the release of the hostages, and the October 7 war should not have happened,” he said.
“Israel is doing its best to exist in peace in the Middle East. All we do is defend ourselves all the time.”
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