Hamas Leader Haniyeh Buried in Qatar; Vows of Revenge Against Israel

Ismail Haniyeh, the top supreme apex leader of Hamas, was buried in Qatar on Friday after being killed in Tehran. His next possible successor told the crowd that Haniyeh’s death would only make Hamas more determined to fight against Israel.

Ismail Haniyeh at a Hamas rally in Gaza in May 2006 ,( Image Resource: i News )

Haniyeh’s killing is part of a series of attacks on Hamas leaders as the conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel approaches its 11th month. Concerns are growing that the conflict is spreading throughout the Middle East. Both Hamas and Iran have blamed Israel for the assassination and promised to retaliate. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement of Haniyeh’s death.

Haniyeh was buried in Lusail, Qatar, after a funeral ceremony at the Iman Mohamed Ibn Abd Al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha. His coffin, covered with the Palestinian flag, was carried through a crowd along with the body of his bodyguard, who was also killed in the attack in Tehran on Wednesday. The ceremony was attended by Khaled Meshaal, who may become the new Hamas leader, along with other senior Hamas officials and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

At the mosque, Meshaal stated that Haniyeh’s death would strengthen their resolve to fight for a free Palestine and that they would never recognize Israel. He said, “Palestine will remain from the river to the sea… and the Zionists (Israel) have no place on the land of Palestine, no matter how many they kill of us.”

Meshaal added that even though Haniyeh’s death is a significant loss, it will not change their course. He remarked, “Our enemies don’t learn. They have been killing our leaders for over 100 years. When one leader goes, another comes.”

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that their message to Israel is that they are sinking deeper into trouble and that Haniyeh’s blood will shift the balance. Haniyeh was killed by a missile at a guesthouse in Tehran where he was staying.

Hamas Supreme Leader Ismail Haniyeh’s  funeral ceremony at the Iman Mohamed Ibn Abd Al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha (Image Reference: The Indian Express)

This attack is part of a series of recent strikes against senior figures in Hamas and Hezbollah, extending the conflict from Gaza to the Red Sea and the Lebanon-Israel border.

The U.S., President Joe Biden said that the killing of Haniyeh won’t help efforts to create a ceasefire in Gaza. He commented that the action does not improve the chances of a truce.

Qatar, along with Egypt and the U.S., has been working towards peace in the region.

Haniyeh was known for his diplomatic role for Hamas during the Israeli attacks on Gaza. Some viewed him as a more pragmatic leader compared to the hardline members of Hamas, but some Israeli commentators saw him as a barrier to a peace deal. Hamas claimed that three of his sons and four of his grandchildren were killed in an Israeli airstrike in April.

For many Palestinians, Hamas leaders like Haniyeh are seen as fighters for liberation against Israeli occupation. In contrast, Israelis and Western countries view Hamas, which has conducted suicide bombings and frequent wars against Israel, as a terrorist organization aiming to destroy Israel.

Haniyeh, who was appointed to lead Hamas in 2017, had been moving between Turkey and Doha to avoid restrictions in Gaza.

In May, the International Criminal Court requested arrest warrants for Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for alleged war crimes. Both Israel and Palestinian leaders have rejected these accusations. Last month, Israel announced that it had killed Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif in an airstrike, but Hamas has not confirmed his death. Hezbollah also reported that its senior military commander, Fuad Shukr, was killed in an Israeli strike on a building in Beirut and has promised retaliation