Funeral of Ismail Haniyeh Draws Thousands in Qatar
Thousands of mourners gathered at Qatar’s largest mosque on Friday to pay their respects at the funeral of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas. This somber event occurred mere hours after President Joe Biden expressed concerns that Haniyeh’s killing could jeopardize ongoing efforts to negotiate a cease-fire in the conflict-ridden region of Gaza.
Haniyeh, who had been residing in the Persian Gulf nation, played a crucial role as a negotiator in the cease-fire discussions between Israel and Hamas. His untimely death, resulting from an explosion in Iran on Wednesday, has heightened tensions across the Middle East. This incident, coupled with the assassination of Fuad Shukr, a commander of Hezbollah, during an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon on Tuesday, has left the region on edge, anticipating potential escalations in retaliatory violence.
When questioned by a reporter on Thursday night about whether the assassination of Haniyeh had destroyed the chances for a negotiated cease-fire in Gaza, President Biden candidly remarked, “It has not helped.” He went on to reveal that he had a “very direct” conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier that day. During their discussion, Biden urged Netanyahu to pursue an agreement that would halt the ongoing war in Gaza and facilitate the release of hostages taken during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7.
“We have the basis for a cease-fire,” Biden asserted. “They should move on it now.” In response, Netanyahu’s office announced on Friday that an Israeli delegation is set to travel to Cairo, the capital of Egypt, on either Saturday or Sunday to engage in negotiations regarding a potential cease-fire and the release of hostages.
Netanyahu also conveyed that Israel is bracing for the possibility of retaliatory actions. “Israel is in very high readiness for any scenario — both defensively and offensively,” he stated on Thursday. “We will impose a very heavy price for any act of aggression against us from any front.”
