Qatar incensed by Hamas leader killing, to hold Ismail Haniyeh funeral

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani expressed deep frustration on Wednesday following the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, stating that the use of political assassinations and deliberate escalation against civilians in Gaza during every phase of negotiations raises questions about how negotiations can proceed when one party, meaning Israel, is killing its negotiating counterpart.

The Qatari official emphasized in a post on his platform X page that regional and international peace requires serious partners and a global stance against escalation and the disregard for the lives of the region's people.

Ismail Haniyeh was based in Qatar, which has played a key role in mediating ceasefire talks between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.

On Wednesday morning, Hamas confirmed Haniyeh was killed in a suspected Israeli airstrike targeting his residence in Tehran. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard stated in a statement that Haniyeh was killed in Tehran and that an investigation is underway, with the results to be announced.

Haniyeh had arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

The State of Qatar earlier condemned the assassination of Haniyeh in the strongest terms, calling it a "heinous crime, a dangerous escalation, and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law."

In a statement published on its X account on Wednesday, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, calling it a "dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of international and humanitarian law."

The Ministry warned that "this assassination and Israel's reckless behaviour of continually targeting civilians in Gaza could lead the region into chaos and undermine peace prospects."

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Qatar's firm stance against violence, terrorism, and criminal acts, including political assassinations, regardless of the motives or reasons.

The Ministry also expressed Qatar's condolences, leadership, and people, "to the family of the Hamas Political Bureau Chief and his personal aide, and to the State of Palestine and its brotherly people."

Haniyeh's assassination came amid recent efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to what many describe as genocide for nearly 10 months. A round of negotiations was held in the Italian capital, Rome, involving officials from the United States, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to impose new conditions, which many say are an attempt to sabotage the Gaza negotiations, blame the Palestinian side, especially Hamas and the resistance, for the delay, extract further concessions, and protect himself from internal accountability.

The new Israeli escalation , which also includes targeting Hezbollah figures in Beirut overnight, throws the fate of these talks into uncertainty as the Iran-backed Axis of Resistance, in which Hamas and Hezbollah are part, is likely to mount a military response against Israel.

Funerals in Tehran and Doha

Hamas announced in an official statement on Wednesday that the body of its Ismail Haniyeh will be transported to Qatar on Thursday, following an official funeral in Tehran.

The movement stated that there would be an official and public funeral ceremony in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Thursday, and the body would be transported to Doha on Thursday afternoon.

"The funeral prayer will be held at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha after the Friday prayer," the statement added.

Following this, Haniyeh's body will be laid to rest at the Founder Imam Cemetery in Lusail, a suburb of Doha.

The statement noted that the funeral in Doha would be attended by "the public and factional leaders, as well as Arab and Islamic leaders."

Israel has remained officially silent and has not commented on Haniyeh's assassination, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office instructing ministers not to address the assassination of Haniyeh.

After assuming the role of Hamas Political Bureau Chief in 2017, Ismail Haniyeh frequently moved between Turkey and Qatar's capital, Doha, to avoid travel restrictions imposed on the besieged Gaza Strip. This mobility facilitated his involvement in ceasefire negotiations.

Ismail Abdul Salam Haniyeh, known as "Abu Al-Abed," was born in 1963 in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, to a humble family. He is a refugee from Ashkelon from which his parents were displaced following the Palestinian Nakba in 1948. Haniyeh was known for his close relationship with Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, serving as his chief of staff for years.

After earning a bachelor's degree in Arabic literature from the Islamic University, Hamas's primary stronghold in Gaza, Haniyeh began teaching there and later worked in various leadership offices within the movement. He remained a target for arrest or assassination during the First and Second Intifadas and throughout three wars in Gaza. Haniyeh was first arrested by Israeli authorities in 1987, shortly after the outbreak of the Palestinian Intifada, and was imprisoned for 18 days. He was arrested again in 1988 for six months under the administrative detention regime.

In 1989, Haniyeh was imprisoned again by Israeli forces on charges of belonging to Hamas and spent three years in detention. He was later deported to Marj Al-Zohour in southern Lebanon in 1992 but returned to Gaza after spending a year in exile. Haniyeh was injured in an Israeli missile attack on the Hamas office in Gaza City in 2003, which he survived along with movement founder Ahmed Yassin. His activities became limited in both political and media arenas.

Haniyeh was among the early advocates for Hamas's political engagement. In 2006, he was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council after the movement decided to participate in elections, subsequently becoming the 11th Prime Minister of the Palestinian government in 2007.

Haniyeh remained the Prime Minister of Gaza until the announcement of the National Unity Government in 2013, despite the Palestinian Authority not recognizing his government at the time and considering it a de facto government. The Arab and international community largely refused to engage with the movement and its government in Gaza except within very narrow confines. Haniyeh was known for his passionate and effective speeches, and upon being chosen as Prime Minister, he famously declared, "We will not recognize, we will not recognize, we will not recognize Israel."

On 6 May 2017, Haniyeh was elected as the new head of Hamas's Political Bureau and resided in Qatar's capital, Doha, for easier communication with the outside world, as he remained on Israel's list of wanted figures for elimination.

Early Wednesday morning, Hamas announced the death of Ismail Haniyeh, stating that he was martyred in an Israeli airstrike targeting his residence in Tehran. Haniyeh had arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian president, Masoud Bezhkiyan, in the parliament. He met with Bezhkiyan and Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. This was his last public appearance.