Tel Aviv: Israel’s defense minister has confirmed that Israel assassinated Hamas’ top leader last summer and is planning to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen.
Ismail Haniyeh was the international face of Hamas, its top leader in exile who kept up the militant group’s ties with allies around the region.
Israel marked him for death after the surprise Oct. 7 attacks.
Who Was Ismail Haniyeh?
The 62-year-old Haniyeh was killed in an airstrike on 31 July 2024 during a visit to one of Hamas’ most crucial allies, Iran, after attending the inauguration of its new president. Iran and Hamas both accused Israel, which has not commented on the strike.
Born in Refugee Camp
Haniyeh was born in the al-Shati refugee camp in the Egyptian-occupied Gaza Strip in 1963. He completed his education in Gaza, where he became involved with Hamas and earned a bachelor’s degree in Arabic literature in 1987.
During the First Intifada, he was imprisoned by Israel and was exiled in 1992. However, upon returning to Gaza, Haniyeh emerged as a significant figure in Hamas.
In 1997, he was appointed to lead one of the group’s offices and advanced within the organisation.
Haniyeh’s Close Allied
Haniyeh was a close associate and aide to the late Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a co-founder of Hamas. This played a crucial role in his rise within the group.
After Yassin was killed by the Israeli military in 2003, Haniyeh was named head of the Hamas, who won the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections.
He later assumed the role of Prime Minister of the State of Palestine. However, in June 2007, he was dismissed from office by Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian National Authority, due to a conflict with Fatah.
Amid the ongoing aggression between Israel and Hamas, in the April 10 attack, Haniyeh lost his three sons – Hazem, Amir and Mohammad when an Israeli air strike struck the car they were driving, Hamas claimed.
He also lost four of his grandchildren, three girls and a boy, in the attack, the group added.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Monday it killed Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July.
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