On Friday, Qatar will hold funeral ceremonies for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran earlier this week. The attack, which Hamas blames on Israel, has heightened regional tensions.
Haniyeh, who led Hamas’s political office and had been residing in Doha, will be buried at Lusail Cemetery after funeral prayers at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab mosque, Qatar’s largest.
His death has fueled calls for revenge and adds to the already intense regional conflict involving Israel, Hamas, and Iranian-backed militant groups across the Middle East.
On Wednesday, Haniyeh and a bodyguard were killed in a pre-dawn attack in Tehran. He was in Iran for President Masoud Pezeshkian’s swearing-in ceremony. While Hamas, Iran, and others have accused Israel of the attack, Israel has not confirmed involvement.
The assassination followed an Israeli strike in southern Beirut that killed Fuad Shukr, a commander of Hezbollah, a group allied with Hamas.
In Tehran, mourners gathered for a public ceremony, with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leading the prayers and vowing retaliation.
Turkey and Pakistan have declared a day of mourning, and Hamas has called for a “day of furious rage” with marches from mosques after Friday prayers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to eliminate Hamas in response to their October 7 attack, which resulted in 1,197 deaths and the capture of 251 hostages. Israel’s counter-campaign has reportedly killed at least 39,480 people in Gaza.
Haniyeh’s coffin arrived in Doha on Thursday, with Al Jazeera showing images of the convoy. Qatar has been a key host for Hamas’s political bureau since 2012 and has been involved in mediation efforts for a Gaza truce.
US President Joe Biden expressed concern over rising tensions and stated that Haniyeh’s death has worsened the situation. He emphasized the need for a ceasefire and reaffirmed support for Israel’s security.
Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized the killing as a blow to peace negotiations, questioning how mediation can succeed when one side targets the other’s negotiator.
The international community continues to call for calm and a renewed focus on securing a ceasefire in Gaza. Israel has warned that any aggression will be met with a strong response.
