From Tehran to Doha, funeral-goers mourn Hamas' Haniyeh

Thousands of mourners attended funeral processions for slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh across the Middle East on Friday as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei eulogized him in Tehran and regional dignitaries attended his burial in Qatar. 

Haniyeh was killed Wednesday in an attack blamed on Israel. Hamas claimed a "strike" hit a Tehran guesthouse where he was staying after attending the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. A New York Times investigation later indicated that Haniyeh was killed by a bomb smuggled into the building months prior.

Haniyeh’s body arrived in Qatar on Thursday after a funeral was held earlier in Tehran, where Khameneni led the prayer service.

Haniyeh, 61, will be buried at the Lusail royal cemetery north of Doha.

Friday’s funeral service at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha was attended by several regional officials including Iran’s Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Ahmad al-Thani, who was accompanied by his father. Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani also attended.

ٍSeveral Hamas leaders were present, namely Khaled Meshaal, who is seen as a potential successor to Haniyeh, Khalil al-Hayya, Basem Naim and Moussa Abu Marzouk.

A Fatah delegation led by Mahmoud al-Aloul, the vice chairman of the Fatah Central Committee, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhala headed to Doha for Haniyeh’s service.

Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, was also reported present at the funeral.

A large delegation of tribal leaders and officials of Jordanian political parties including the Muslim Brotherhood and its political wing also attended.

Malaysia’s deputy home minister, Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, led his country’s delegation to the funeral in Doha.

Thousands of people rallied outside the mosque for Friday’s funeral prayers, waving the Palestinian flag.

Emirati politician Anwar Gargash praised “Qatar and its leadership for hosting Haniyeh’s funeral ceremony in these difficult circumstances” as a “noble and appreciated position.”

“The UAE's position is firm and rejects violence and political assassination in all its forms and sources. There is no way to stability except through justice, wisdom and dialogue,” he wrote on X.

Qatar hosts several senior Hamas officials, including Haniyeh, who had been residing in the Gulf nation since 2019. In a statement on Wednesday, the Qatari Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Haniyeh’s assassination, calling it “a heinous crime, a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law.”

Iranian allies hold funeral prayers

Funeral prayers for Haniyeh were held in several countries across the region on Friday.

Palestinians held prayers in mosques across the West Bank while hundreds of Jordanians took to the streets to pay their respects and express solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Lebanon’s Beirut and Yemen’s Sanaa also hosted prayer services for Haniyeh. In Istanbul, dozens of people attended funeral prayers at the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.

Hamas had called for a “day of rage” on Friday, coinciding with Haniyeh’s funeral. In a statement on Thursday, the group called on its supporters to hold marches and prayers at mosques across the region.

Haniyeh’s assassination has escalated the risk of a wider war in the region. Hamas and Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack and vowed to respond to the assassination.

Tensions were already high after the killing of a Hezbollah senior commander in a rare Israeli drone strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday and Israel's confirmation Wednesday of the killing in Gaza of Mohammed Deif, the leader of Hamas’ armed wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

Iran-backed groups have been launching repeated attacks at Israel since the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip broke out Oct. 7 in support of Hamas.