Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Wednesday cast doubt over the success of future mediation between Israel and Hamas following the killing of the group’s political chief Ismail Haniyeh.
Qatar, which hosts Hamas’s political leadership that included Haniyeh, has been involved in months of back-and-forth talks to mediate an end to the war in Gaza, alongside Egypt with US support.
“Political assassinations & continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on other side? Peace needs serious partners,” Sheikh Mohammed, who has led Qatar’s mediation efforts, wrote on X.
Later on Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed received a call from US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken with the pair confirming “the importance of continuing to work to reach a ceasefire in Gaza”, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Foreign Ministry condemned Haniyeh’s killing in Tehran on Wednesday, describing it as a “heinous crime”, a “dangerous escalation” and “a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law”.
“This assassination and the reckless Israeli behaviour of continuously targeting civilians in Gaza will lead to the region slipping into chaos and undermine the chances of peace,” it said.
“The ministry reiterates the State of Qatar’s firm position rejecting violence, terrorism and criminal acts, including political assassinations, regardless of the motives and reasons,” it added.
Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political bureau with the blessing of the United States since 2012 following the Palestinian militant group’s closure of its office in Damascus.
Iranian media said the strike that killed Haniyeh took place at around 2am, targeting “the special residences for war veterans in north Tehran” where he was staying.
Haniyeh had travelled to Tehran to attend Tuesday’s swearing-in of President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The Israeli army declined to comment on the killing.