By Deutsche Welle
01 Aug 2024, 19:45 PM EDT
The funeral for the head of the political bureau of the Islamist terrorist group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, who died yesterday in an attack in Tehran attributed to Israel, began this Thursday, August 1, with prayers led by the leader of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, where thousands of people gathered to demand revenge.
According to local media, the ceremony was held at Tehran University, where Khamenei paid tribute to the Hamas leader and his bodyguard, identified as Wasim Abu Shaaban, who also died in the attack.
Thousands in the funeral procession
Iranian media outlet PressTv said a crowd of Iranians took part in the funeral procession for the slain Hamas leader.
Haniyeh was in the Iranian capital on Tuesday to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, where he was accompanied by other leaders of countries friendly to Iran.
Khamenei presided over the prayer before the Hamas leader’s coffin, which was draped with the Palestinian flag. The event was also attended by senior Iranian military and Resistance officials.
According to PressTv, although the details of the attack that killed the Islamist leader are not yet known, the preliminary investigation launched by Iran points to the direct role of the Israeli regime with the acquiescence of the US administration of Joe Biden.
Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, which is also blamed on it by other countries allied to Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country’s military is ready to face “any scenario,” referring to growing tensions with pro-Iranian militias in the Middle East.
“Citizens of Israel, difficult days lie ahead. Since the attack in Beirut, threats have been heard from all directions. We are prepared for any scenario and will remain united and determined against any threat,” Netanyahu said.
Who was Ismail Haniyeh?
BBC reported that Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, was born in 1962 in the Shati refugee camp. In 1997 he was appointed head of the office of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, founder of the Hamas movement, which strengthened his position in the Islamist movement. Haniya survived an assassination attempt in 2003,
On 6 May 2017, he was elected head of the Hamas Political Bureau by the Islamic Resistance Movement’s Shura Council, succeeding Khaled Mishal. This is considered the highest position in the group’s structure.
Keep reading:
- Iran threatens Israel to take revenge for killing of Hamas leader
- Blinken clarifies that the US is not involved in the death of Hamas leader
- Who was Hamas leader Ismail Haniya and what does his assassination mean for the group and the war in Gaza?