DOHA: Qatar and Egypt, which have played key roles as mediators in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, warned on Wednesday that the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh could significantly damage efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
Both nations highlighted how the recent escalation threatens to derail peace negotiations and exacerbate regional tensions.
On Wednesday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani took to social media platform X to condemn the killing.
“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?” Al Thani wrote. He called for serious commitment from all parties and a global stance against the disregard for human life.
Similarly, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement criticizing what it described as a “dangerous Israeli escalation policy” over the past two days. The ministry stated that the timing of Haniyeh’s assassination, coupled with the lack of progress in ceasefire negotiations, has further complicated the situation.
“The coincidence of this regional escalation with the lack of progress in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza increases the complexity of the situation and indicates the absence of Israeli political will to calm it down,” the statement read.
The Egyptian foreign ministry lamented that the assassination undermines the efforts made by Egypt and its partners to halt the ongoing conflict and alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Since October, Israeli forces have killed more than 39,445 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza, the territory’s health ministry reported.
Haniyeh was killed early Wednesday morning in Tehran, where he was staying after participating in the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The assassination, which took place around 2 a.m. local time, has raised fears of a broader regional escalation.
The Iranian media reported that the attack was conducted using an air-launched missile, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that Haniyeh and a bodyguard were killed.
The timing of Haniyeh’s death coincides with a recent Israeli claim of having killed a Hezbollah commander in Beirut, who was allegedly responsible for a deadly strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. This series of escalations has intensified the already volatile situation in the Middle East.
Qatar and Egypt, along with the United States, have been working to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. However, progress has been stalled by disagreements and changing demands from Israel, with recent rounds of negotiations in Rome showing little advancement.
