The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced that what is being circulated by the media and social media platforms about assigning certain names to head the movement, succeeding the head of the political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, is baseless, stressing that it will publish the results of its consultations once they are completed.

In a statement issued by Hamas on its Telegram account, it explained that the movement "is distinguished by its high institutionalism and its firm Shura Council, which was reflected in the facts and events over the past decades, which witnessed the martyrdom of a number of its leaders."

The statement continued by saying that Hamas "was rushing to choose alternatives for them according to the movement's regulations and systems, and that with the martyrdom of the leader, brother Abu al-Abed (Ismail Haniyeh), the movement's leadership began a broad consultation process in its leadership and Shura institutions to choose a new leader for the movement."

"The deceased of the people and the nation"

Hamas stressed that "the martyred leader Ismail Haniyeh, may God have mercy on him, is not only a loss for the Hamas movement, but also for the Palestinian people, the Arab and Islamic nation, and the free and honorable people of the world. Perhaps this widespread interaction and solidarity in the East and West of the earth is clear evidence of that."

The statement said that the assassination of Haniyeh "will only increase the strength of Hamas and the Palestinian resistance and their determination to continue on its path and approach, and that his pure, noble blood will ignite the fire of resistance and increase its intensity and escalation."

Hamas announced on Wednesday morning that Haniyeh was martyred in a "Zionist raid" that targeted his residence in Tehran, the day after he participated in the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian.

Haniyeh's body was buried after Friday prayers at Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Haniyeh's assassination came as Israel, with American support, has been waging a war on Gaza since October 7, leaving more than 130,000 dead and wounded - most of them children and women - and more than 10,000 missing.