Hundreds in Qatar farewell slain Hamas chief Haniyeh
Published: 04:08 PM,Aug 02,2024 | EDITED : 08:08 PM,Aug 02,2024
MS
Hundreds of people bid farewell Friday at a mosque in Qatar to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh after his killing in Tehran, an attack blamed on Israel that deepened fears of a regional war.
Haniyeh, the Palestinian armed group's political chief, played a key role in mediated talks aimed at ending nearly 10 months of war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
His killing triggered calls for revenge and raised questions about the continued viability of such negotiations.
Mourners lined up for funeral prayers inside Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque, the Gulf emirate's largest. Others prayed on mats outside in temperatures that reached 44 degrees Celsius.
Draped in a Palestinian flag, his casket was carried briefly into the mosque before leaving again for burial in Lusail, north of the Qatari capital.
The ceremony ended in angry chants. 'He was a symbol, a resistance leader... people are angry,' said Taher Adel, 25, a Jordanian student residing in Doha.
The killing of Qatar-based Haniyeh is among several incidents since April that have sent regional tensions soaring during the Gaza war which has drawn in fighter groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.
Turkey and Pakistan announced a day of mourning on Friday to honour Haniyeh, while Hamas called for a 'day of furious rage'.
Many Doha mourners were dressed in crisp white traditional robes, others in street clothes. But most wore scarves that combined the Palestinian flag with a checkered keffiyeh pattern and the message in English: 'Free Palestine'.
Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan were among the officials at the funeral.
'Ismail Hanyieh is a symbol for all Muslims,' Qatari Ahmed Mahmoud, 48, said at the funeral ceremony.
'Iran must evaluate the decision and there must be a reaction. Israel must know we will defend ourselves.'
Haniyeh and a bodyguard were killed in a pre-dawn 'hit' on their accommodation in Tehran Wednesday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said. Haniyeh was in Iran to attend the swearing-in of President Masoud Pezeshkian a day earlier.
Israel, accused by Hamas, Iran and others of the attack, has not directly commented on it.
A source close to Lebanon's Hizbullah movement said that Iranian officials met in Tehran on Wednesday to discuss next steps with representatives of the 'axis of resistance', Tehran-aligned Middle East groups that include Hizbullah and Hamas. 'Two scenarios were discussed: a simultaneous response from Iran and its allies or a staggered response from each party,' said the source who had been briefed on the meeting and requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
During the Gaza war, Hizbullah and Israeli forces have engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire, and did so again on Thursday.
Haniyeh's assassination came hours after Israel struck a southern suburb of Beirut, killing Fuad Shukr, the military commander of Hizbullah which supports Hamas.
Haniyeh's deputy, Saleh al Aruri, had already been killed in south Beirut early this year in a strike which a US defence official said Israel carried out. - AFP
Haniyeh, the Palestinian armed group's political chief, played a key role in mediated talks aimed at ending nearly 10 months of war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
His killing triggered calls for revenge and raised questions about the continued viability of such negotiations.
Mourners lined up for funeral prayers inside Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque, the Gulf emirate's largest. Others prayed on mats outside in temperatures that reached 44 degrees Celsius.
Draped in a Palestinian flag, his casket was carried briefly into the mosque before leaving again for burial in Lusail, north of the Qatari capital.
The ceremony ended in angry chants. 'He was a symbol, a resistance leader... people are angry,' said Taher Adel, 25, a Jordanian student residing in Doha.
The killing of Qatar-based Haniyeh is among several incidents since April that have sent regional tensions soaring during the Gaza war which has drawn in fighter groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.
Turkey and Pakistan announced a day of mourning on Friday to honour Haniyeh, while Hamas called for a 'day of furious rage'.
Many Doha mourners were dressed in crisp white traditional robes, others in street clothes. But most wore scarves that combined the Palestinian flag with a checkered keffiyeh pattern and the message in English: 'Free Palestine'.
Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan were among the officials at the funeral.
'Ismail Hanyieh is a symbol for all Muslims,' Qatari Ahmed Mahmoud, 48, said at the funeral ceremony.
'Iran must evaluate the decision and there must be a reaction. Israel must know we will defend ourselves.'
Haniyeh and a bodyguard were killed in a pre-dawn 'hit' on their accommodation in Tehran Wednesday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said. Haniyeh was in Iran to attend the swearing-in of President Masoud Pezeshkian a day earlier.
Israel, accused by Hamas, Iran and others of the attack, has not directly commented on it.
A source close to Lebanon's Hizbullah movement said that Iranian officials met in Tehran on Wednesday to discuss next steps with representatives of the 'axis of resistance', Tehran-aligned Middle East groups that include Hizbullah and Hamas. 'Two scenarios were discussed: a simultaneous response from Iran and its allies or a staggered response from each party,' said the source who had been briefed on the meeting and requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
During the Gaza war, Hizbullah and Israeli forces have engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire, and did so again on Thursday.
Haniyeh's assassination came hours after Israel struck a southern suburb of Beirut, killing Fuad Shukr, the military commander of Hizbullah which supports Hamas.
Haniyeh's deputy, Saleh al Aruri, had already been killed in south Beirut early this year in a strike which a US defence official said Israel carried out. - AFP