By Mohamed Majed and Rania Abu Shamala
ISTANBUL (AA) - A statement from Palestinian resistance movement Hamas on Friday indicated that its Gaza chief, Khalil al-Hayya, is alive after surviving an Israeli strike in Doha earlier this week that killed his son and senior aides.
In a statement, the movement said al-Hayya performed funeral prayers for his son Hammam and other victims of the attack, noting that the ceremony took place under “special security arrangements” in Qatar.
On Thursday, large crowds joined the funeral procession from Qatar’s main mosque, attended by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Israel’s strike on Tuesday targeted a residential site housing Hamas leaders. The attack killed Hammam al-Hayya, al-Hayya’s office director Jihad Lubad, three aides, and a Qatari security officer. Israel claimed responsibility for the attack.
Qatar condemned the strike as “state terrorism,” vowing to preserve its right to respond. Hamas confirmed that its negotiating delegation led by al-Hayya survived, though several close associates were killed.
The attack came despite Qatar’s mediation role alongside Egypt and the US in ongoing indirect talks aimed at securing a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.
Observers say the strike reflects Israel’s widening regional assaults, following earlier attacks on Iran in June, while continuing a nearly two-year military campaign in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.