Hamas Chief Haniyeh Laid To Rest In Doha, Prayers Across World

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was buried in Doha yesterday after funeral prayers attended by leaders from various countries and thousands of people, agencies reported.
Prayers were held across the world for Haniyeh, who was assassinated by Israel on Wednesday in Iran, which heightened regional tensions. Haniyeh had been playing a key role in mediated talks aimed at ending nearly 10 months of war between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip.
The assassination drew condemnation from across the world. Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani said on Wednesday:“Political assassinations and continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side? Peace needs serious partners and a global stance against the disregard for human life.”
The burial was attended by one of Haniyeh's daughters, Sara, who shared a video on social media showing her pouring holy water over a pebble-topped grave before lowering her head to kiss it.
“In this moment, I buried my soul under the dirt and I departed. I departed with all the pain of the world in my ribs,” she captioned the video uploaded on X.
Mourners earlier yesterday lined up inside Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha, where Haniyeh's casket, draped in a Palestinian flag, was briefly carried in to the shouts of angry mourners.
Haniyeh's predecessor Khaled Meshaal spoke at the ceremony, saying the slain leader had“served his cause, his people...and never abandoned them”.
Meshaal said his death would only make the group more determined to continue its fight for a free Palestine. There would be no concessions over its principles and no recognition of Israel, he said.
“Palestine will remain from the river to the sea...and the Zionists (Israel) have no place on the land of Palestine, regardless of how many they kill of us,” Meshaal said in a video released by Hamas.
Haniyeh's death was a big loss to the movement but it would not alter their course, he said.
“Our enemies don't learn the lesson, they have been killing our leaders for over 100 years, what happened? When a leader ascends (to heaven) another leader comes,” he said.
Worshippers prayed on mats outside the mosque in temperatures that reached 44C. To Page 2
“He was a symbol, a resistance leader... people are angry,” said Taher Adel, 25, a Jordanian student residing in the Qatari capital.
Turkiye and Pakistan announced a day of mourning yesterday to honour Haniyeh, while Hamas called for a“day of furious rage”.
Many mourners in Doha wore scarves that combined the Palestinian flag with a checkered keffiyeh pattern and the message in English:“Free Palestine”.
Speaking at the mosque, where Haniyeh's body was laid for prayers, Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters by phone:“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 and a bodyguard were killed in a pre-dawn“hit” on their accommodation in Tehran on Wednesday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said. Haniyeh was in Iran to attend the swearing-in of President Masoud Pezeshkian a day earlier.

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