DOHA: A plane carrying the body of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in a pre-dawn strike in Tehran, landed in Doha on Thursday. The arrival of the body follows a public funeral held earlier in Iran.
Haniyeh, a prominent leader of Hamas, was killed early Wednesday in an attack on his residence in Tehran, which Iranian authorities have blamed on Israel. The incident has intensified regional tensions, particularly as it coincides with ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The funeral in Tehran was attended by a large crowd of mourners, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who led prayers for Haniyeh. Khamenei had earlier vowed “harsh punishment” in response to the assassination.
Following the funeral in Tehran, the body of Haniyeh was transported to Qatar, where he had lived in exile with other members of the Palestinian group’s political office. The burial is scheduled for Friday at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque, Doha’s largest, with ceremonies expected to feature “popular and factional attendance” alongside participation of leaders from various countries, according to a statement from Hamas.
The assassination of Haniyeh came shortly after another high-profile killing in the region. On the same day, Israel conducted an airstrike in Beirut that killed Fuad Shukr, a top commander of Hezbollah. Shukr’s death has been attributed to his involvement in a rocket attack over the weekend in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
While Israel has not officially commented on Haniyeh’s killing, both Hamas and Iranian authorities have accused Israel of orchestrating the attack.
