KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has expressed deep sadness and anger over the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

The 99-year-old politician condemned Israel and its supporters, describing them as "hypocrites and true terrorists".

"I was fortunate and proud to have known Haniyeh. He was a man with gentle words but a heart of a lion.

"Haniyeh's relentless efforts in fighting for Palestinian liberation against Israeli occupation are truly exemplary for every freedom fighter.

"He was an impressive individual, with his courage to defend his people stemming from a pure heart and guided by a moral compass rooted in humanity and religious conviction," he said in a statement today.

Dr Mahathir described Israel as a "rogue state and mass murderer" and criticised the killing of Ismail as a reflection of the Zionist regime's "arrogance and cruelty".

The Western media and some leaders, he added, continued to label Hamas and Haniyeh as terrorists.

He said this was despite the Palestinians' fight against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Defense Forces, and Jewish settlers who had perpetrated violence against the Palestinian people for decades.

"Civilised Western leaders themselves brand Haniyeh, Hamas, and other Palestinian freedom fighters as terrorists. The hypocrisy of the West and similar entities is indeed appalling.

"I am truly saddened and angry. I am saddened because Haniyeh, a brave and honourable man who dedicated his life to the fight for Palestinian liberation, has been killed.

"I am angry because the Western world, which could effect change, remains silent and instead sides with Israel in its acts of violence and genocide against the Palestinian people," he added.

However, Dr Mahathir expressed optimism, believing that Haniyeh's struggles would not die with him and that the Palestinian people would not let his death be in vain.

"They may have killed Haniyeh, but not his ideas and struggles. To Haniyeh's family, please accept my deepest condolences for the loss of an extraordinary man.

"To Hamas and the Palestinian people, you have lost a great leader-one who was brave and steadfast in his beliefs. May Allah forgive him, grant him Jannah (heaven), and place him among the righteous.

"From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Malaysian government condemned the killing of Ismail and called for an immediate investigation to hold those responsible accountable.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/1085078/tun-m-condemns-israel-mourns-hamas-leader-ismail-haniyehs-death