TEHRAN- Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was laid to rest in Qatar on Friday, two days after he fell victim to an Israeli assassination plot.

 Funeral ceremonies were held for him in the capital Doha. Thousands gathered at Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul al-Wahhab Mosque to join ritual prayers ahead of the burial in Lusail, north of the city, according to Al Jazeera. 
People from all walks of life, Haniyeh’s family, representatives of Hamas and other Palestinian factions including Islamic Jihad and Fatah, attended the funeral. 

The atmosphere was one of grief and solidarity for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. 

Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s deputy head in Gaza, was among those who attended Haniyeh’s funeral in the Qatari capital. 

“We are sure that his [Haniyeh’s] blood will bring out victory, dignity and liberation,” Al-Hayya said in a message to several of Haniyeh’s relatives at the ceremony in Doha. 

Haniyeh’s popularity
 
In addition to Palestinian factions, representatives of NGOs were present at the funeral in Doha. This attached significance to the position of Haniyeh among all Palestinians irrespective of their political affiliations. 

Haniyeh, who was in the Iranian capital to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Masoud Pezeshkian, alongside other Axis of Resistance leaders, was killed in an attack early on Wednesday.

Huge crowds attended a funeral procession and prayer that was held for him in Tehran on Thursday.

Western propaganda 

The US and some of its Western allies have waged smear campaigns against Hamas, claiming that the movement does not represent Palestinians. But a close look at attendees in Haniyeh’s funeral disputes such false claims and shows that Hamas is widely seen as a legitimate voice of the Palestinians. 

Haniyeh was not only engaged in ceasefire talks with mediators - Qatar, Egypt and the United States - but was also an important face of the Palestinian resistance.

Haniyeh was assassinated by Israel although he considered talks as an approach to bring an end to the regime’s genocidal war on Gaza. 

His murder clearly shows that Israel does not want ceasefire and uses talks as a smokescreen to advance its war agenda.    

Israeli officials had promised to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders as part of their stated aim to destroy the resistance group since declaring war on Gaza on October 7.

More than 300 days have passed since Israel launched the onslaught. 

According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, about 39,500 Palestinians, including more than 16,300 children have been killed since the start of the conflict. The ministry says over 91,000 others have also been wounded.

But Israel has failed to eliminate Hamas. Intelligence assessments by the US and Israel have shown that Hamas has become more popular in Gaza and the West Bank after the war. 

For now, the assassination of Haniyeh will not only fail to weaken Hamas but also boost the resolve of Palestinians to put up resistance against the occupying regime.

Haniyeh lost his life but his successor will continue his path with great strength. 

His assassination also conveyed an important message to the world that Israel is an apartheid entity whose survival depends on bloodshed. Hence, negotiations with the murderous regime are nothing more than a wild-goose chase.