DUBAI. The funeral of Ismail Haniyeh, a prominent Hamas leader, was held in Qatar on Friday, following his assassination two days earlier in Tehran. The killing is part of a troubling series of targeted attacks against senior figures in the Palestinian militant group amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The ceremony took place at a mosque near Doha, with mourners including Khaled Meshaal, the likely successor to Haniyeh’s position, other high-ranking Hamas officials, and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Haniyeh will be interred in Lusail, a city north of Doha. His coffin, draped in the Palestinian flag, was carried alongside that of his bodyguard, who was also killed in the attack.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri addressed reporters from the funeral, stating, “Our message to the occupation (Israel) today is that you are sinking deep in the mud and your end is getting closer than ever. The blood of Haniyeh will change all equations.” Haniyeh was reportedly killed by a missile strike on a state guesthouse in Tehran, where he was staying, according to Khalil Al-Hayya, another senior Hamas official.
Both Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of orchestrating the assassination, though Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement. The incident adds to a series of similar strikes against Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, intensifying concerns that the Gaza conflict could escalate into a broader regional war.
U.S. President Joe Biden commented on the development, saying that Haniyeh’s killing was detrimental to international ceasefire efforts in Gaza. “It doesn’t help,” Biden remarked on Thursday regarding the impact of the assassination on truce negotiations.
Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States, has been actively involved in peace negotiations. Haniyeh, who had served as Hamas leader since 2017, was a key figure in international diplomacy for the group and participated in indirect ceasefire talks. While he was seen as a moderate by some diplomats, certain Israeli commentators viewed him as an obstacle to peace.
In addition to the funeral in Qatar, Iran also held a memorial service for Haniyeh attended by his widow, Amal Haniyeh. During the service, she expressed her grief, saying, “Say hello to all the martyrs of Gaza, say hello to the leaders, to all Gaza’s martyrs, all the Muslims.”
Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Rishq called for global prayers for Haniyeh and declared, “Let today, Friday, be a day of overwhelming anger denouncing the assassination crime and rejecting the genocide in the Gaza Strip.”
The recent escalation also includes Hezbollah’s confirmation of the death of its senior military commander Fuad Shukr in an Israeli strike in Beirut. Hezbollah has vowed a “definite” response to Shukr’s killing, signaling a new phase in the longstanding rivalry with Israel.
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah demanded a “real response, not a performative response,” in his televised address, emphasizing the need for a measured approach to the ongoing conflict.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
