Palestinian group requires ‘day of livid rage’ to coincide with funeral of Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran.
Funeral ceremonies for Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh are to be held in Qatar after his assassination in Iran deepened fears of a widening regional battle.
Haniyeh, the political chief of the Palestinian armed group, can be buried on Friday in a cemetery in Lusail, north of Doha, after funeral prayers on the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab mosque.
Hamas has stated “Arab and Islamic leaders” in addition to representatives of different Palestinian factions and members of the general public would attend the occasions within the Qatari capital, the place Haniyeh had lived together with representatives of the group’s political bureau.
Israel didn’t remark immediately on the killing of Haniyeh and a bodyguard in a pre-dawn assault on his Tehran lodging early Wednesday, however has been blamed by Hamas, Iran and others for the assault.
The killing of the Hamas chief got here simply hours after Israel struck a southern suburb of Beirut, killing Fuad Shukr, the navy commander of the Iran-aligned Lebanese group Hezbollah. Israel has claimed duty for the assault.
Hamas has known as for a “day of livid rage” to coincide with the funeral in Doha and inspired “marches of roaring anger… from each mosque” after Friday prayers to protest Haniyeh’s killing in addition to Israel’s ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Türkiye and Pakistan have introduced a day of mourning in honour of the Hamas chief.
Iran’s supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers on Thursday as hundreds paid their respects throughout a public funeral ceremony for Haniyeh in Tehran. He had earlier threatened “extreme punishment” for his killing.
Qatar has hosted Hamas’ political workplace with US blessing since 2012, following the closure of the group’s workplace in Damascus, Syria.
Haniyeh was enjoying a key position in talks for a attainable ceasefire in Gaza, working with Qatari mediators in months-long negotiations alongside Egypt and the USA.
US President Joe Biden stated late on Thursday that Haniyeh’s killing had “not helped” the scenario and that he was “very involved” about rising tensions within the area.
The White Home stated Biden spoke by cellphone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and vowed to defend Israel’s safety “towards all threats from Iran.”
Qatar’s prime minister stated the killing had forged doubt on the mediation course of within the Gaza conflict. “How can mediation succeed when one aspect kills the negotiator on the opposite aspect?” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani stated on social media platform X.
The worldwide neighborhood has known as for calm amid issues {that a} concerted retaliation by Iran and its allies Hezbollah and Hamas may spark an intense regional battle.
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah stated on Thursday {that a} response was “inevitable” as he addressed the gang of supporters gathered for the funeral of Shukr, the group’s prime commander who was killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut on Tuesday.
Israel warned its adversaries on Thursday that it might “pay a heavy value” for any “aggression.”
“Israel is at a really excessive stage of readiness for any situation, each defensive and offensive,” Netanyahu stated in an announcement. “Those that assault us, we’ll assault them in return.”