Ismail Haniyeh: A Profile of a Hamas Leader
Ismail Haniyeh, a prominent leader of Hamas, met a tragic end in Tehran on Tuesday. He was a key figure in Hamas’s political operations, previously residing in Qatar and Turkey. During his time in Iran, he was part of the senior members of the “axis of resistance,” which includes Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
Mr. Haniyeh, who was believed to be 62 years old, was born in 1962 in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza. His parents were Palestinians who were displaced from their home in Ashkelon, now part of Israel, in 1948. He received his education at UNRWA schools and pursued Arabic literature at the Islamic University of Gaza.
Having faced imprisonment by the Israeli military in the 1980s and 1990s, Mr. Haniyeh’s political career was shaped by his close association with Sheik Yassin, a spiritual leader and co-founder of Hamas. He served as Mr. Yassin’s personal secretary and survived an Israeli assassination attempt in 2003. Unfortunately, Mr. Yassin was later killed by the Israeli military in 2004.
Mr. Haniyeh played a crucial role in Hamas’s diplomatic efforts, particularly in negotiations with Israel. His death marks a significant loss for the Palestinian group and raises questions about the future of Hamas’s leadership.
