Hundreds attend funeral of Hamas leader killed in Qatar
Funeral was attended by, among others, the Vice President of Iran, Mohammed Reza Aref, and the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Numerous mourners stood in line for their prayers in the mosque, others prayed outside on carpets - in temperatures up to 44 degrees. Some participants were dressed in traditional white attire, while others wore street clothes.
Most mourners had scarves with the Palestinian flag and the pattern of a Palestinian keffiyeh and the English message "Free Palestine" draped around their necks.
Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas, was killed on Wednesday during a visit to the Iranian capital Tehran. Hamas and Iran blamed Israel for the killing. Israel has not commented on Haniyeh's killing.
The New York Times, citing Iranian security officials, reported that Haniyeh was killed by an explosive device that had been planted several weeks earlier in his accommodation, a guesthouse.
Asked about the report, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said that apart from the air strike to kill Hizbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Lebanon, "there was no other Israeli air strike in the entire Middle East" that night.
Since Haniyeh's killing, further retaliation by Iran against Israel is expected. According to information from AFP from circles close to the pro-Iranian Hizbollah militia, Iranian representatives met with representatives of the Israel-hostile, Iran-backed self-proclaimed "Axis of Resistance" in Tehran on Wednesday. This axis includes, among others, the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas and Hizbollah.
Two scenarios were discussed: a simultaneous attack by Iran and its allies, or a "staggered response" by the different members of the axis.
Hundreds of mourners paid their respects to Haniyeh during the funeral proceedings, their attire a mix of traditional and casual wear.Hundreds of mourners were reportedly present at the meeting in Tehran, representing various Iran-backed groups, discussing potential retaliation against Israel.
