Ismail Haniyeh, the prominent leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, was laid to rest in Qatar on Friday following his assassination in Tehran, Iran.
His funeral in Doha saw his potential successor addressing mourners, emphasizing that Haniyeh’s death would not hinder the group’s mission.
According to Reuters, Haniyeh’s death is one among several targeted killings of senior Hamas leaders as the conflict between Hamas and Israel in Gaza approaches its 11th month. The violence is raising concerns about its spread throughout the Middle East. Both Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of orchestrating the assassination and have vowed retaliation, though Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility.
Haniyeh was buried in Lusail after a funeral at the Imam Mohamed Ibn Abd Al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha, where his coffin, draped in the Palestinian flag, was carried alongside that of his bodyguard, who was also killed in the Tehran attack. During the mosque prayers, Meshaal declared that Haniyeh’s death would only strengthen the group’s resolve to fight for a free Palestine and that there would be no concessions or recognition of Israel.
Senior Hamas officials echoed this sentiment. Sami Abu Zuhri said, “The blood of Haniyeh will change all equations,” while Khalil Al-Hayya confirmed that Haniyeh was killed by a missile strike at the state guesthouse in Tehran. This attack is part of a series of recent strikes targeting senior figures in Hamas and Hezbollah, with the conflict now extending beyond Gaza.
U.S. President Joe Biden remarked that Haniyeh’s killing complicates international efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. Qatar, alongside Egypt and the U.S., has been leading these peace efforts. Known for his diplomatic role, Haniyeh was viewed by many diplomats as more pragmatic than other hardline members of Hamas in Gaza, though some Israeli commentators saw him as an obstacle to peace negotiations.
In April, three of Haniyeh’s sons and four grandchildren were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza. To Palestinian supporters, Hamas leaders are seen as freedom fighters resisting Israeli occupation, but to Israelis and Western states, Hamas is viewed as a terrorist organization dedicated to Israel’s destruction.
Appointed as Hamas’s leader in 2017, Haniyeh operated between Turkey and Doha to bypass Gaza travel restrictions. In May, the International Criminal Court requested arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders, including Haniyeh, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes, which both Israeli and Palestinian leaders dismissed.
In a separate incident, Israel announced that a recent airstrike killed Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif in Gaza, though Hamas has not confirmed this. Additionally, Hezbollah reported that its senior military commander, Fuad Shukr, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, promising a “definite” response.