Palestinians mark a year since Israel's killing of Ismail Haniyeh amid mixed legacy for Hamas

A year after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in an Israeli attack in Tehran, Palestinians across the devastated Gaza Strip are marking the first anniversary in muted toned. 

Once seen as a powerful symbol of political resistance, Haniyeh today evokes sharply divided opinions among a population battered by Israel's war, famine, and forced displacement. 

Israel killed Haniyeh on 31 July 2024, while he was on an official visit to Iran to participate in a state funeral. Haniyeh served as the head of Hamas's political bureau since 2017 and was formerly the de facto prime minister following the group's 2006 electoral victory.

But with Gaza's infrastructure in ruins and its people enduring what the UN has called a "man-made famine," many now question the relevance and impact of his leadership, particularly as it caused the war without having the ability to end it.

In the heart of Gaza City's devastated Zeitoun neighbourhood, Mohammed Hamad told The New Arab that "Ismail Haniyeh was a man of the people, sure, but during war, where was he?"

"He died in Tehran while we were dying here. A real leader dies with his people. I don't want speeches; I want someone who sees our children sleep on the floor without a blanket and starving at night and doing something," he said.

"After 21 months of the Israeli genocidal war, my people and I have the right to ask Hamas, and even Haniyeh if he were alive, why did they start the war? For what? For whom and what were their goals?"  he added.  

Hamad's frustration reflects a broader disenchantment with political symbolism for many living under Israeli siege and fire. The physical absence of leaders during wartime, especially leaders perceived to be safe abroad, has deepened the sense of abandonment among Gaza's residents.

In Khan Younis, Abdul Rahman Abu Amer, a recent university graduate now living in displacement, remarked to TNA that he once admired Haniyeh's fiery oratory and commitment to resistance. However, today, his views have shifted.

"I supported Hamas. I used to cheer when Haniyeh spoke, but while we were burying our children, he was in foreign capitals. A leader doesn't flee death. He stays and shares it with his people," he said.

"May God have mercy on him. Sometimes, I feel that he was involved in making the decision about the war," Abu Amer added. "Now we have a real thing that Israel is a criminal state, and it is killing all the Palestinians, including the leaders."

For Israa al-Kahlout, a displaced medical student from Beit Lahia, the issue isn't simply Haniyeh's location at the time of his death; it's the symbolism of absence.

"Even if he is a martyr, what does that change? […] Gaza is gone. People are starving. One litre of olive oil sells for $US 70 and thyme for $US 60. People can't find bread. And we're told to remember a man who didn't die here," she told TNA.

She added, "I'm not asking for miracles. Just don't disappear in the hardest moments."

In Rafah, where relentless Israeli bombardments have reduced entire neighbourhoods to rubble and displaced hundreds of thousands, Abu Ali Nijim now shelters with his family in a tent in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis. The surrounding devastation is a constant reminder of the price civilians are paying.

"These Israeli airstrikes destroyed our homes and killed our loved ones. The resistance leaders are targeted because they represent steadfastness," he told TNA. "They became symbols on our screens because Israel fears their voices. We bury our dead quietly here, under siege, but their sacrifice is not in vain."

For Abu Ali and many like him in southern Gaza, the killing of Haniyeh in Tehran was more than the loss of a leader; it was part of a broader attempt to crush Palestinian resistance and silence one of its most enduring voices.

"Haniyeh wasn't just a politician. He was someone we grew up watching, always calm, always speaking to the world with strength. He came from the refugee camps, from Shati, just like many of us. He carried the voice of the poor and the displaced. That’s why they killed him," he added.

While Hamas's official channels published statements commemorating Haniyeh's death, the absence of public memorial tents or ceremonies in Gaza was striking.

Unlike previous commemorations of assassinated Hamas leaders, often held in Saraya Square or other symbolic venues, this year's anniversary was marked mainly online.

In a lengthy press statement, Hamas praised Haniyeh as a martyr "of pride and dignity" whose "bloodshed in Tehran and body buried in Doha" remained "a testament to his life and struggle for unity and national rights."

The movement insisted that "assassinations only strengthen our resolve."

The statement framed Haniyeh's assassination as "the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to the Palestinian cause," calling for 3 August to be recognised annually as a day of support for Gaza, Jerusalem, and Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas also highlighted Haniyeh's personal losses in the war. His sons and grandchildren were killed in earlier airstrikes on Gaza, a fact the movement underscored to emphasise his sacrifices.

"His voice still echoes in our memory," the statement read, "reciting [Quranic] verses from Al-Imran and Al-Anfal, shouting that the fortresses will not fall."

In a press statement, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) movement said that "The martyrdom of Commander Ismail Haniyeh is a painful loss for the Palestinian people."

"We salute his role as a unifying national figure and condemn his assassination as yet another Zionist crime aimed at silencing voices of resistance," it added.

"His absence is deeply felt, not only because of who he was, but because of what Gaza still needs courageous, present leadership capable of standing with the people during the darkest moments," it explained.

"This martyrdom comes amid an ongoing genocide against our people," the PFLP said. "In such a moment, the demands on national leadership are not symbolic; they are immediate, direct, and rooted in sacrifice on the ground."