The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Friday referred to Khaled Mashal, a deputy of slain Ismail Haniyeh, as the acting chief of Hamas’ political bureau.
“Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with acting Hamas political bureau head Khaled Mashal in the Qatari capital of Doha and expressed his condolences,” the ministry said in a statement.
Haniyeh’s two sons took part in the Doha meeting. Hamas is yet to announce Haniyeh’s successor.
The farewell ceremony for Haniyeh will be held in Doha on Friday, where he mostly resided in recent years, a source in Hamas told Sputnik. His final resting place has not been officially named.
Hamas said on Wednesday that its Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli attack on his residence in Tehran after he took part in the inauguration of the newly elected Iranian president. Hamas blamed Israel and the United States for his death and vowed to retaliate.
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said he had nothing to say about Haniyeh’s death or Israel’s alleged role in it. The Jerusalem Post reported that the Israeli government had instructed ministers not to comment on Haniyeh’s assassination.
