Qatar, on Thursday, held funerals in Doha for five Palestinians and one Qatari killed in an Israeli strike that targeted Hamas figures earlier this week.
The Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, led the funeral prayers at the Imam Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha.
The bodies of five Palestinians were draped in the Palestinian flag, while Corporal Badr Saad Mohammed Al-Humaidi Al Dosari was laid to rest under the Qatari flag.
Facing the coffins, the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, prayed alongside hundreds of mourners, some wearing traditional white robes, others wearing military uniform.
According to Khaleej Times, the interior ministry said the dead would be buried in the Mesaimeer Cemetery after the funeral at Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque. Authorities beefed up security, with checkpoints on access roads to the mosque.
LEADERSHIP reports that Israel struck Doha on Tuesday, targeting Hamas leaders, but the group said its top officials survived, while five of its members were left dead and a Qatari security force member was also killed.
Hamas said its slain members were top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya’s son Humam, his office director Jihad Labad and bodyguards Ahmad Mamlouk, Abdallah Abdelwahd and Mumen Hassoun.
Qatari Lance Corporal Badr Saad Mohammed al-Humaidi al-Dosari was also killed, with Doha also confirming the deaths of three of the Hamas members.
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said he could not confirm Hayya’s fate.
He warned the attack has killed any hope for Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip and said Qatar was reevaluating “everything” surrounding its role as a key mediator in the talks.
Doha has been a venue for several rounds of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel.
The country has hosted Hamas’ political bureau since 2012 with the blessing of the United States, which has sought to maintain a communication channel with the group.
Sheikh Mohammed said he hoped for a collective regional response to the attack and that an Arab-Islamic summit would be held in Doha to decide on a course of action.
The first Israeli strikes in the Gulf sent shockwaves in a region long shielded from conflicts in the Middle East and drew international condemnation.
Former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was buried in the Gulf state after his assassination in Tehran in July 2024 in an attack attributed to Israel.
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