Expressions of solidarity in public carry a very heavy price
The high-level delegation of Fatah in the funeral procession comes in the context of the fact that Israel’s policy of political assassination is longstanding.
All political factions in Palestine have been touched and really scarred by that, including, of course, Fatah.
So, the political assassination of Haniyeh required that all political differences and splits be set aside and that the rhetoric of unity takes centre stage. That is what the Palestinian public expects.
Palestinians are very much affected, saddened and also enraged by this assassination, understanding that it will impact their lives no matter where they live.
In contrast to the pictures we’re seeing now in Qatar, where you have dignitaries and ordinary people attending the funeral procession, people here in the occupied West Bank most likely won’t be coming out in their thousands, and that’s for two reasons.
On the one hand, Israel fragments the occupied West Bank with over 500 military checkpoints. On the other, Israel is pursuing Palestinians even for expressing empathy with fellow Palestinians on social media platforms.
It has detained thousands of Palestinian activists from all factions.
There is real fear here among Palestinians to express what they really feel, which is anger and fury at this point.
Ben-Gvir criticises Turkish embassy personnel for lowering flag to half-staff
The Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv has lowered its flag to half-staff in honour of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated on Wednesday.
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded on X to the move, saying, “Representatives of the Turkish Embassy in Israel are invited to take down the flag completely and return home. shameful.”
Israel summons Turkish deputy ambassador over half-staff flag incident
We reported earlier that the Turkish embassy has flown its flag at half-staff, as the funeral of assassinated Hamas political head Ismail Haniyeh takes place in Doha.
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, says on X that he ordered the summoning of Turkey’s deputy ambassador to Israel for a “stern reprimand” over the incident.
“The State of Israel will not accept expressions of participation in mourning for a murderer like Ismail Haniyeh who was the head of the Hamas terrorist organization,” Katz wrote.
Solidarity with Palestinians among attendees of Haniyeh’s funeral in Doha
Regardless of punishing temperatures, thousands of people gathered at Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha to pay tribute to the late Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The message from most of those Al Jazeera spoke to is one of solidarity for Palestinians in Gaza.
“Even if he died, that does not mean the system is dead,” said Nadine Ramadan, a 28-year-old audiologist, while queueing to enter the mosque. “The Palestinian women are going to raise an even better man than him and we will still be here and fight,” Ramadan said.
A few steps behind, Aisha, 23, said it was important to attend the ceremony in a show of support for those trapped in Gaza. “For a lot of people, Haniyeh was a beacon of hope,” she said. “And so I think it’s important to show our solidarity with the Palestinians and to just make sure that we are here for them, even if we can’t physically do anything, we are still with them,” she added.
People gather at Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha
