Funeral held in Qatar for Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh

Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran has been buried in Qatar.

Mourners gathered in Doha on Friday for the funeral. Among them were Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and Khaled Meshaal, who is expected to replace Haniyeh as political chief of Hamas.

U.S President Joe Biden said the assassination had “not helped the chances of a ceasefire deal” and expressed concern about the escalating tensions in the region after Iran vowed retaliation for Haniyeh’s killing on its soil.

Biden is also weighing more US defenses in the Middle East as the US prepares for an Iranian retaliation against Israel that officials say could include an attack on American forces.

Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran using a hidden explosive device, becoming the third high-profile figure in Iran-backed militant groups to be killed in recent weeks. Reports said.

Meanwhile, President of Turkey, Tayyip Erdogan has declared August 2, a day of national mourning over the killing of the head of Hamas’ political bureau Ismail Haniyeh.