Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Wednesday condemned the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh hours earlier in Tehran, saying that the “political assassination” damages the prospects of reaching a ceasefire agreement.
Doha has been one of the leading participants in multilateral talks aimed at ending the war in the Gaza Strip and freeing the remaining 115 hostages abducted by Hamas during its Oct. 7 invasion.
“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 & a global stance against the disregard for human life,” Mohammed wrote on X.
Jerusalem denies that it targets civilians, blaming Hamas’s use of human shields for noncombatant casualties, which are historically low in the current conflict, military experts say.
Qatar is a major financial backer and political ally of Hamas, drawing accusations that it is not impartial in the negotiations.
Haniyeh was based in Doha and will be buried there on Friday, according to the Saudi Al Hadath news channel.
Prime Minister Mohammed’s comments followed a statement by the Qatari Foreign Ministry condemning the assassination, calling it a “heinous crime, a dangerous escalation, and a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law.”
The ministry denounced the “reckless targeting of civilians” and suggested it “will lead the region into chaos and undermine the chances of peace.”
While claiming that Qatar is firmly against terrorism, the ministry expressed condolences to Haniyeh’s family, his companion, the “State of Palestine” and its people.
On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Timmy Davis stressed the importance of Washington’s diplomatic relationship with Doha for regional “peace and security,” speaking during a meeting with Qatar’s chief spokesperson.
Davis said he sat down with Majed al-Ansari for a “robust conversation on key regional and international developments, reaffirming the importance of the U.S.-Qatar partnership for peace and security.”
Al-Ansari wrote on X: “The strong bonds between Qatar and the U.S. are further strengthened by our shared commitment to securing peace & stability in the region and beyond in these difficult times.”
Neither diplomat mentioned the ongoing indirect hostages-for-ceasefire talks between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization, which Qatar and Egypt have been mediating with the backing of the United States.
In April, a top Qatari official told an Arab League summit that there could be no negotiations with Israel as the Jewish people are “slayers of prophets.” Essa bin Ahmad al-Nassr, who serves in the Shura Council legislature and holds the rank of brigadier-general in the Qatari Armed Forces, claimed that Judaism “only accept[s] one thing—killing.”