Abdelilah Benkirane Attends Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh’s Funeral in Qatar

Rabat – Abdelilah Benkirane, Secretary-General of Morocco’s Justice and Development Party (PJD), attended on Friday the funeral of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, in Doha. Haniyeh was assassinated earlier this week in an Israeli attack in Iran.

Benkirane was accompanied by Mohamed Reda Benkhaldoun, the PJD’s international relations officer. According to a Facebook post by Benkirane, the funeral prayer for Haniyeh was held after the Friday prayer at the Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha. The burial took place at the Lusail cemetery.

The funeral was attended by thousands, including Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad and his predecessor, Hamad bin Khalifa, as well as representatives from Palestinian factions and members of the late Hamas leader’s family.

The funeral was also marked by commemorations in various countries, including Turkey, Lebanon, Yemen, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Haniyeh’s assassination has sparked widespread international reactions. Benkirane described his assassination as a “treacherous terrorist operation” and a “cowardly” act on Israel’s part.

Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian. The raid also resulted in the death of his bodyguard.

Born in 1963 in Gaza City, Haniyeh was a key figure in Hamas’ political and military activities. He served as the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority from 2006 to 2007 before Hamas took control of Gaza. 

Haniyeh was known for his leadership role in the ongoing war on Gaza and for his involvement in various ceasefire and peace negotiations.

Qatari officials have strongly condemned Israel’s assassination of Haniyeh, arguing that it would undermine peace efforts, particularly since Haniyeh was engaged in ceasefire talks with mediators including Qatar. 

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has questioned how mediation can succeed “when one party assassinates the negotiator of the other party.”