Ismail Haniyeh's burial in Qatar: A pivotal moment for Hamas leadership amid investigation

Report by Toni Mrad, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

From one of Qatar's largest mosques, the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha, Hamas' political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was laid to rest.  

The funeral was attended by famous and political figures, including Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his father, the Iranian Vice President, and leaders from various Palestinian factions.

Hundreds attended the funeral prayer for Haniyeh after the Friday prayers. Following the prayers, Haniyeh's body and that of his personal aide were transported from the mosque to their final resting place at the Imam Cemetery in Lusail amidst chants from mourners.
 
With Haniyeh's burial, Hamas now faces a crucial task: choosing his successor in what could be the movement's most challenging and precise moment, impacting both Hamas and the Palestinian people.

This succession is paralleled by ongoing investigations conducted by Iranian authorities to uncover the details of the assassination, which took place on their territory and under their security watch.

Unofficial reports suggest the assassination occurred early Wednesday morning with a bomb planted by Mossad in Haniyeh's room, which was remotely detonated by Mossad agents operating within Iran, according to the American site Axios.

Axios also reported that the bomb, utilizing artificial intelligence technology, was planted in Haniyeh's room at his residence in Tehran long before the operation was carried out.

The narrative reported by Axios contrasts with the one provided by Iran's Fars News Agency, which claimed that Haniyeh's residence, a guest house managed by the Revolutionary Guard for official guests, was struck by a projectile that destroyed parts of the building's roof and windows. 

However, the investigations confirmed that Israel planned and executed the operation.