Who was Ismail Haniyeh?

Editorial 

The recent assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh during his visit to Iran for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian has prompted an outpouring of condolences and mourning. In the wake of his death, many are seeking to understand the profile of the late leader and the broader implications of this incident.

His background

Ismail Haniyeh, who was 62 or 63 years old at the time of his death, was born in a refugee camp like many Palestinians of his generation. Haniyeh’s parents, much like the founder of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, hailed from the village of Al Jura near Ashkelon. They were forced to migrate to Gaza, eventually settling in the al-Shati refugee camp, where Haniyeh was born.

Haniyeh's childhood mirrored that of many of his peers in refugee camps. It was marked by the struggle to receive an education in schools often ravaged by conflict and reliant on aid. Growing up under these harsh conditions, Haniyeh undoubtedly came to understand the pain and bitterness of life under occupation. Despite these challenges, he earned a bachelor's degree in Arabic literature from the Islamic University of Gaza in 1987.

However, at the university, Haniyeh was not only training as a teacher or scholar of literature; he was also learning the art of organisation. He joined the Muslim Brotherhood and headed its student council from 1985 to 1986. When the First Intifada against the Israeli occupation erupted in 1987, Haniyeh actively participated in it. His involvement in the intifada led to his imprisonment by Israeli forces and subsequently to his exile to Lebanon along with other activists.

Work experience

After the 1993 interim peace accords, Haniyeh was able to return to Gaza. Upon his return, he worked at the Islamic University of Gaza as the director of Administrative and Academic Affairs and as a member of the Board of Trustees. He was also engaged in youth programs, heading the Gaza Islamic Society Club, later known as the al-Sadaqa Club, for about ten years.

After Israel released Sheikh Yassin from prison in 1997, Yassin chose Haniyeh as his bureau chief, responsible for Hamas-run social and health amenities. Subsequently, Haniyeh rose in the ranks of the organisation. Being a close aide to the founder and leader of Hamas, Haniyeh became one of the most active Hamas officials during the Second Intifada, which started in 2000 after former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem accompanied by a heavy security presence.

Sheikh Yassin attending to İsmail Haniyeh

During this period, Haniyeh survived two failed assassination attempts while accompanying Sheikh Yassin. In September 2003, during an assassination attempt on Yassin, both men escaped, though Haniyeh was wounded in the hand. However, Sheikh Yasin would eventually be killed on March 22, 2004, when Israel fired a missile at him in his wheelchair as he left the local mosque after morning prayers.

Haniyeh in Politics

Today, many analysts of Hamas activities note that Haniyeh seems relatively "pragmatic" and moderate among Hamas leaders. These characteristics can be traced to his early involvement in Hamas politics. For instance, after 1994, he ran a bureau that liaised with Fatah and other secular nationalists. In 1996, when Palestinians held their first legislative elections, Haniyeh was among the few Hamas members who opposed the group's decision to boycott the vote. He advocated for Hamas's involvement in Palestinian politics and even faced isolation until he eventually stood down to follow the group's decision.

Ten years later, Hamas decided to enter politics. In December 2005, Haniyeh was elected to head the Hamas list dubbed "List of Change and Reform," which won the Legislative Council elections the following month. Despite being its first election, and against all odds and Israeli and American pressure, Hamas won 74 of the 132 seats, while the ruling Fatah won only 45. Subsequently, Haniyeh was nominated as prime minister on February 16, 2006, formally presented to President Mahmoud Abbas on February 20, and sworn in on March 29, 2006.

Prime Ministership

Following his appointment as Prime Minister, Haniyeh rejected certain demands from the so-called Quartet on the Middle East (the United States, Russia, the United Nations, and the European Union). This decision led to his government being isolated by other factions, particularly Fatah. Consequently, Haniyeh formed a government without Fatah, a move that was unacceptable to the secular party that had dominated Palestinian politics for decades. As tensions escalated, law and order deteriorated, paving the way for clashes between Hamas and Fatah. On October 20, 2006, Haniyeh's convoy came under gunfire in Gaza, and one of the vehicles was set on fire.

After months of sporadic negotiations, Fatah and Hamas signed an agreement on February 8, 2007, to form a national unity government aimed at ending both the violence and the international aid embargo that had followed the initial Hamas-led government's formation. Haniyeh resigned on February 15, 2007, as part of the process of establishing the national unity government. He subsequently formed a new government on March 18, 2007, as head of a cabinet that included both Fatah and Hamas politicians.

Still, this was not enough for the powers that controlled Fatah. Pressure to isolate Hamas from Palestinian politics led to the civil war in Gaza in June 2007. This conflict resulted in the division of Palestine and Hamas taking control of the Gaza Strip on June 14, 2007. Mahmoud Abbas then dismissed the Hamas-led coalition government and, on June 15, appointed Salam Fayyad as Prime Minister to form a new government. Hamas objected to this perceived usurpation of its rights. As a result, Haniyeh continued to serve as the de facto Prime Minister of Palestine.

Haniyeh in Hamas leadership

Haniyeh made attempts to unify Palestine, including an agreement with Fatah at his home in the Al-Shati Refugee Camp. He continued to lead the Palestinian national unity government and administer the Gaza Strip until April 2014. Subsequently, Yahya Sinwar, who had been released from Israeli prison in 2011 in exchange for prisoners, took over from him. Between June 2, 2014, and February 13, 2017, Haniyeh remained the leader of Hamas in Gaza.

In 2017, Haniyeh replaced Khaled Mashal as the chairman of Hamas's Political Bureau. This position required him to relocate from the blockaded Gaza Strip to Qatar, a practice followed by Hamas leaders except for Ahmed Yassin. This relocation allows for more unrestricted international movements to advance the group's objectives. Haniyeh’s predecessor, Khaled Mashal, had been based in Jordan, Syria, and Qatar.

Haniyeh and October 7

It is believed that Haniyeh was not informed about the operation prior to Aqsa Tufan, as the Al-Qassam Brigades operate with a degree of independence. However, Haniyeh expressed his support for the operation and was seen performing a sujud of thanks on the first day. He believes that Palestine's salvation lies through armed resistance.

When Israel commenced its genocidal campaign, Haniyeh was focused on ensuring that any ceasefire deal would benefit the people of Palestine. During the course of the operation, Israel targeted Haniyeh's family members, killing up to 60 of them, including three of his sons and four of his grandchildren, who were killed on April 10, 2024, while travelling for Eid. Despite this personal tragedy, Haniyeh demonstrated his resilience and faith, responding to the news with: “All the martyrs of Palestine are my children.”

Indeed, Haniyeh has always been regarded as a father figure in Gaza. He insisted that he would not leave the refugee camp unless he were going to his late father’s home in Ashkelon. While in Gaza, he was known for moving freely among the people, visiting common places, and leading salah in various mosques.

His Assassination

The world was shocked on July 31 when Israel, with the aid of its covert allies, martyred Ismail Haniyeh. This is especially tragic as it occurred at a time when he was engaged in negotiations with them, suggesting a lack of genuine interest in peace. However, Muslims take solace in the belief that those who die in the cause of Allah are not truly dead but are with Allah.

News reports indicate that, hours before his death, Haniyeh addressed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, quoting the verse, “It is Allah who gives life and causes death. And Allah is all-aware of all actions” (Al Imran 3:156). He remarked, “If a leader leaves, another will arise.” Indeed, the death of Haniyeh does not mark the end of Hamas or the Palestinian resistance; rather, it may intensify. Haniyeh is the third Hamas leader to be assassinated by Israel in the past two decades, following Sheikh Yassin and his successor Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi. Thus, the resistance endures.

May Allah grant Ismail Haniyeh martyrdom and forgive his misdeeds.