Global Outcry and Calls for Revenge at Iranian Funeral of Hamas Leader Haniyeh

Tehran, Iran – On Thursday, Iran conducted funeral processions calling for revenge after the death of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, attributed to an Israeli strike.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, led prayers for Haniyeh prior to his burial in Qatar and had earlier threatened severe retribution for his death.

Thousands gathered in central Tehran, carrying posters of Haniyeh and Palestinian flags, for a ceremony at Tehran University followed by a procession, according to an AFP correspondent.

The Revolutionary Guards announced Haniyeh’s death, stating that he and his bodyguard were killed in a strike on their residence in Tehran at 2:00 am (2230 GMT) on Wednesday.

This incident followed just hours after Israel’s retaliatory strike in Beirut, which killed top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, raising concerns of a broader regional conflict. Israel has not commented on the Tehran strike.

Iranian state TV showed the coffins of Haniyeh and his bodyguards draped in Palestinian flags, with high-ranking Iranian officials in attendance. Among them were President Masoud Pezeshkian and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief General Hossein Salami. Haniyeh had been in Tehran for Pezeshkian’s inauguration ceremony on Tuesday.

During the funeral, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya declared that Haniyeh’s stance of not recognizing Israel would persist and vowed to continue the fight against Israel.

Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf pledged to avenge Haniyeh, affirming that it was their duty to respond appropriately.

The ceremony saw caskets with a pattern reminiscent of a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, carried on a truck adorned with flowers, as water mists cooled the crowd chanting anti-Israel and anti-America slogans.

Khamenei emphasized the necessity of avenging Haniyeh, stating it was their duty to retaliate. However, Iran has not disclosed the precise location of the strike.

Pezeshkian warned that Israel would face repercussions for its “cowardly and terrorist act.”

Internationally, there were calls for de-escalation and focusing on achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, which Haniyeh had previously accused Israel of hindering.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the strikes in Tehran and Beirut as a dangerous escalation and emphasized efforts towards a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel.

Qatar’s Prime Minister expressed concerns that Haniyeh’s death jeopardized the mediation process.

The situation has inflamed regional tensions, with Iran blaming Israel for the attack. Israel, while not commenting on Haniyeh’s death, claimed responsibility for Shukr’s killing in response to a rocket attack in the Golan Heights.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced three days of mourning for Haniyeh, expressing condolences to the Palestinian people and Hamas.

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting at Iran’s request to discuss the strike.

Hamas has been negotiating a truce and hostage-prisoner exchange with Israel, facilitated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas following its October 7 attacks, which resulted in significant civilian casualties and hostages.

Concerns have grown in Israel regarding the hostages’ fate, with some seeing Haniyeh’s killing as detrimental to potential negotiations.

Israel’s campaign against Hamas has resulted in substantial casualties in Gaza, with the health ministry reporting thousands of deaths.