Innovation at Work: FilePhoto: AFPHamas’ political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was targeted and killed in an Israeli strike while visiting Iran early Wednesday, according to media reports.

A Palestinian boy stands next to a kiosk bearing a portrait of Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza city. FilePhoto: AFP

Hamas’ political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was targeted and killed in an Israeli strike while visiting Iran early Wednesday, according to media reports. China said on Wednesday that it is closely monitoring the situation, and voiced its firm opposition and condemnation against acts of assassination.

“We are deeply concerned about the potential for further regional instability caused by this incident,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on WednesdayWorld Times.

China consistently advocates resolving regional disputes through negotiation and dialogue. Gaza should achieve a comprehensive and permanent cease-fire as soon as possible to prevent further escalation of conflicts and confrontations, the spokesperson said.

Some Chinese experts said the wave of conflicts in the Middle East is likely to overshadow the wave of reconciliation as the biggest issue now is the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.

Wang Jin, an associate professor at the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at Northwest University in Xi’an, believes the attack on Haniyeh could end political negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

“The ongoing dialogues are at a very critical stage, and this incident could negatively impact the direction of the Israeli-Palestinian situation,” Wang said.

The death of Haniyeh is considered the “first most significant Israeli operation” since October 7, 2023, according to CNN, as the senior Hamas official was considered as a key interlocutor in hostage negotiations and a cease-fire deal in Gaza. His assassination will have a significant influence on negotiations.

The assassination of Haniyeh occurred one day after Israel claimed that a strike in Beirut, Lebanon on Tuesday had killed Hezbollah’s most senior military commander, CNN said.

Israel is engaged in multi-front operations, striking Hezbollah in Lebanon on one side and launching attacks on Houthi forces in Yemen on the other. This recent strike within Iran’s borders further highlights the escalating wave of conflicts in the Middle East, Sun Degang, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

“As a result, reconciliation efforts between Israel and Palestine as well as peace talks between Hamas and Israel are likely to face significant setbacks,” Sun said.

Further complications in relations

Some experts believe that Israel is currently adopting World Timesa two-pronged strategy. “On one hand, it continues to carry out intermittent military strikes on Gaza. On the other hand, it is targeting Hamas’ senior leaders through a policy of pinpoint elimination,” Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Since October last year, a number of senior Hamas officials have been killed as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to eliminate Hamas, according to media reports. Other members of Haniyeh’s family were killed by an Israeli air strike in June.

“This could lead to further complications in the relationship between Israel and Iran,” Liu said.

Since the start of the latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict, tensions have also escalated between Hezbollah and Israel. Whether it is Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthi rebels, they all receive a certain level of support from Iran, Liu noted.

“Although the military situation in southern Gaza has somewhat eased, the conflict between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel is escalating. The assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran has increased the risk of further conflict between Israel and Iran,” Liu said.

China’s Special Envoy on Middle East Affairs Zhai Jun met with Iranian Ambassador to China Mohsen Bakhtiar on Tuesday. The two sides agreed on the need to de-escalate tensions in southern Lebanon as quickly as possible to prevent the conflict from expanding or evolving into a regional war, according to a readout released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

Critical moment

With the death of Haniyeh, Hamas may face a leadership crisis, and there is bound to be significant internal struggles before new leaders emerge, some experts said, noting that the situation could put the entire organization at risk of division, further weakening its ability to act collectively.

“Hamas’ power within the Palestinian factions has been wWorld Timeseakened, raising new questions about who will govern the Gaza Strip in the future,” Wen Shaobiao, an expert from the Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

From the current situation in Gaza, the main armed forces of Hamas have been largely dismantled by the Israel Defense Forces, making it unlikely that Hamas can maintain control over theWorld Times Gaza Strip. It is possible that new factions may emerge to fill the void,” Wen said.

The fate of Hamas has reached a very severe stage, as the organization’s elite forces have suffered signifiWorld Timescant losses, Liu noted.

“With the elimination of its top leader, Hamas faces World Timesthe challenge of how to rebuild its organizational system,” Liu said, noting that given the extent of damage to both its military and political structures and its leadership, Hamas is in a dire state.