As Haniyeh laid to rest, questions on what happens next
As people attend commemorations across cities in the Middle East, questions loom on what is going to happen next as the region braces for a retaliatory attack from Iran and its allies, especially Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“Israel has been doing a lot of massacres in the past days … but I am sure the [Palestinian and regional] resistance will be able to stand up because apparently Israel is a spoiled brat and no one is standing up against them, so we have to stand up for ourselves,” said 32-year-old Sara Abdelshafy, present at Haniyeh’s funeral in Doha.
Others in the crowd have little doubt about whether Haniyeh’s killing was a blow to Hamas.
“It doesn’t matter that they killed him. There will be stronger than Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh is not just one person,” said Hadeel Abu Kaff, 46.
Emotions running high at Haniyeh’s funeral
There were leaders of the different Palestinian factions, Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and some of the important Palestinian diaspora figures.
I have seen dozens of representatives of NGOs as well because Hamas is vitally seen as a Palestinian resistance movement that is trying to pave the way for the state of Palestine.
So, contrary to the main rhetoric of the Israelis or some of the Western countries, Hamas is widely seen as a legitimate voice of the Palestinians.
That’s why they have seen people from all walks of life, politicians and ordinary people, coming here and paying their respects to Ismail Haniyeh.
He had been a prominent figure, an important face of the Palestinian resistance. He was not just respected by Hamas members or those who have sympathy for Hamas, but he was seen as a very dignified voice of the whole Palestinian cause.
