Palestinians attend a protest following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, July 31, 2024. | Photo credit: Reuters
Palestinian factions called for unity and a general strike on July 31 to protest the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in an airstrike in Tehran.
“The national and Islamic factions in Palestine announce a comprehensive strike and anger marches to (protest) the assassination of the great national leader Ismail Haniyeh, which took place in the context of Zionist state terrorism and its war of extermination,” the Palestinian factions said in the Palestinian Authority. the occupied West Bank said in a joint statement.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement that he “condemns the assassination of leader Haniyeh and calls on our people and their armed forces to unite and stand their ground.”
In an unusual show of solidarity with his main political rival, Abbas called for a day of mourning for the man he appointed prime minister in 2006 and dismissed in 2007. Flags will be flown at half-mast.
The prime minister’s office in Ramallah condemned “the treacherous murder” of Haniyeh and called on Palestinians to remain united “in the face of the (Israeli) occupation.”
Ministry employees in Ramallah left their offices in response to the strike call.
In several cities in the occupied West Bank, shops closed and employees left work, while cultural institutions announced they would remain closed.
