Who was Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas's political chief killed in Tehran?

Ismail Haniyeh

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed, along with one of his bodyguards, in an attack on their residence in Irans capital Tehran on Wednesday. Here are 5 facts you didnt know about Ismail Haniyeh.

Early life

Haniyeh, 62, was born in the Al-Shati refugee camp near Gaza City in 1962 and joined Hamas in the late 1980s during the First Intifada (uprising), becoming one of its prominent members.

Remained behind bars for three years

Haniyeh was arrested by Israeli authorities in 1988 and was imprisoned for six months for his participation in the first intifada against Israeli occupation. After remaining behind bars in Israel for three years, he was exiled in 1992 to a land between Israel and Lebanon, along with several other Hamas leaders.

Became personal secretary

After a year in exile, Haniyeh returned to Gaza and became the personal secretary of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Yassin, who was assassinated in 2003. Haniyeh rose quickly through Hamas leadership ranks, being appointed part of a secret “collective leadership” in 2004 to the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority in 2006.

Chief of Hamas political bureau

Months of armed tensions between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority ended in Hamas ousting Mahmoud Abbas Fatah party in 2007. Haniyeh served as the leader of the de facto government in the Gaza Strip. In 2017, he was selected as the chief of Hamas political bureau, replacing Khaled Meshaal.

Global terrorist

Haniyeh was designated as a global terrorist by the United States in 2017. He left Gaza Strip in 2019 and began living in Turkey and Qatar to represent Hamas abroad. He has led the Hamas delegation in ceasefire negotiations mediated by Qatar and Egypt on the Israel-Hamas war.