Hundreds of people gathered at a mosque in Qatar on Friday to attend the funeral of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran, according to The Times of Israel. Mourners gathered for prayers inside the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque, Qatar’s largest, while others prayed on mats outside in 44-degree Celsius heat. Haniyeh will be buried in a cemetery in Lusail, north of Doha.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s funeral held in Doha; Iran vows retaliation
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Khaled Meshaal, a possible successor as the new Hamas leader, was among the mourners. Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the assassination, but Israel, currently at war with Hamas in Gaza, has not confirmed or denied involvement. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led a public funeral for Haniyeh in Tehran on Thursday before his body was flown to Doha and vowed “harsh punishment” for the killing.
On Wednesday, Khamenei ordered Iran to directly attack Israel in retaliation for Haniyeh’s death, as reported by The New York Times. This order came during an emergency meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan were also expected to attend the funeral. Haniyeh’s assassination has increased regional tensions amid the Israel-Hamas war, involving Iran-backed groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen, according to The Times of Israel.
Turkey and Pakistan declared a day of mourning on Friday to honor Haniyeh, while Hamas called for a “day of furious rage.” Haniyeh and his bodyguard were killed in a pre-dawn attack on their accommodation in Tehran on Wednesday, stated Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Haniyeh was in Iran for the swearing-in of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian a day earlier.
The conflict began after Hamas’s October 7 attack in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages to Gaza. Israel responded with a military operation to eliminate Hamas and secure the hostages’ return.
Following Turkey’s decision to lower its flag at half-mast at the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv in response to Haniyeh’s killing, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz instructed officials to summon the Deputy Turkish Ambassador for a serious reprimand. Katz stated that Israel will not tolerate mourning for a “murderer” like Ismail Haniyeh.
