A senior Emirati official praised, on Friday, Qatar’s hosting of the funeral of the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and whose killing sparked widespread regional condemnation, with the exception of some Arab Gulf states.
Prayers were held for Haniyeh’s body at the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha on Friday, where hundreds of mourners gathered, before he was transferred to be buried in a cemetery north of the Qatari capital.
The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, attended the funeral, along with a number of officials, including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, and leaders of Hamas and Palestinian factions.
Qatar was the residence of Haniyeh and other members of Hamas’s political bureau, who have been hosted by Doha since 2012, after the movement closed its office in Damascus.
Anwar Gargash, Advisor to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said, “The sisterly State of Qatar and its leadership’s hosting of the funeral of Ismail Haniyeh in these difficult circumstances is a noble and appreciated position.”
The sisterly State of Qatar and its leadership hosting the funeral of Ismail Haniyeh in these difficult circumstances is a noble and appreciated stance. Our sincere condolences to his family and we ask God to inspire them with patience and solace.
The UAE’s position is firm and rejects violence and political assassination in all its forms and sources. There is no way to stability except through justice, wisdom and dialogue.
— Dr. Anwar Gargash (@AnwarGargash) August 2, 2024
Gargash confirmed via the X website on Friday that “the UAE’s position is firm and rejects violence and political assassination in all its forms and sources,” considering that “there is no way to stability except through justice, wisdom and dialogue.”
Qatar boasts strong ties with the Palestinian movement, unlike Doha’s neighbors, which have long had a murky relationship with Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
The Gulf states’ reactions to Haniyeh’s assassination varied, with Qatar, Kuwait and Oman officially condemning it.
The UAE and Bahrain have issued statements warning of regional escalation but have not publicly condemned Haniyeh’s killing, although the King of Bahrain on Friday sent a telegram of “condolences and sympathy” to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas over Haniyeh’s killing.
Later, the Saudi Foreign Minister condemned the assassination of Haniyeh in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart.
The UAE and Bahrain normalised diplomatic relations with Israel as part of the 2020 Abraham Accords brokered by the United States, which is also seeking a similar deal with Saudi Arabia.
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