Who was Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas political head assassinated in Iran?

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran after attending the swearing-in ceremony of the country's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iran’s Islamic Paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed in a statement early on July 31 that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, along with his bodyguard, was killed after his residence in Tehran was “hit” early Wednesday morning. 

Hamas has accused Israel of carrying out an airstrike that resulted in Haniyeh's death. Iran's Revolutionary Guard is investigating the attack but has not disclosed how it occurred.

Israel had previously vowed to target Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders in response to the group's October 7 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and took around 250 others hostage.

Who was Ismail Haniyeh?

Ismail Haniyeh, born in 1962 in the Al-Shati refugee camp near Gaza City, joined Hamas in the late 1980s during the First Intifada and became a prominent member of the group.

Following internal conflicts with Fatah that led to the collapse of the Palestinian Authority and the formation of a Hamas-led government in the Gaza Strip, Haniyeh served as the leader of this administration from 2007 to 2014.

In 2017, he succeeded Khaled Meshaal as the head of Hamas's political bureau.

Also Read: Gaza War: Israel is losing badly in the battle of perceptions

Like many refugee children, Haniyeh received his education at schools operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which also provided food and medical aid to camp residents.

In 1981, he enrolled at the Islamic University of Gaza to study Arabic literature and became actively involved in student politics, leading an Islamist student association connected to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Haniyeh's political career

Ismail Haniyeh's prominent role in Hamas began in 1997 when he became the personal secretary to Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. He remained a close ally until Yassin's assassination in 2004. In 2006, he led Hamas in the Palestinian legislative elections, which resulted in a majority for the group and his appointment as Prime Minister.

This led to a freeze in international aid to the Palestinian Authority, causing significant financial strain. By June 2007, following escalating tensions and armed conflict with Fatah, President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Haniyeh and dissolved his government.

Also Read: What Hamas want in a ceasefire deal with Israel amid Gaza war? ’Negotiations will stop if...’

The US designated Haniyeh as a “specially designated terrorist” in 2017.

In December 2019, Haniyeh left the Gaza Strip and moved to Turkey and Qatar, which facilitated his ability to represent Hamas internationally. Since 2020, Haniyeh has been based in Doha, Qatar, due to restrictions Egypt imposes on his movement into and out of Gaza. 

Hamas leaders moved to Qatar after their previous host, Syria, fell out of favour following Palestinian involvement in the 2011 uprising that led to the Syrian Civil War. Additionally, some senior Hamas members reportedly operate from offices in Turkey, as per reports.

Also Read: ‘To arrive at a lasting solution…’: India condemns humanitarian crisis in Gaza amid Israel-Hamas war

In October 2022, Haniyeh met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, marking the first meeting between Hamas and Syria’s leadership since Hamas severed ties during the Syrian uprising.

During the current Israel-Hamas conflict, Haniyeh led the Hamas delegation in cease-fire negotiations mediated by Qatar and Egypt. In April 2024, during ongoing cease-fire talks, an Israeli airstrike killed three of Haniyeh's children and four of his grandchildren.

Following this, in May, the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor announced plans to seek arrest warrants for Haniyeh, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, commander Mohammed Deif, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Also Read: Israel-Gaza war: ‘Food and supply aid to Gaza surges by over 50% in 12 days,’ says US President Joe Biden

The killing of Ismail Haniyeh follows a rare Israeli strike on Beirut on Tuesday that reportedly killed Fouad Shukur, a senior Hezbollah military commander. Hezbollah has yet to confirm Shukur's death, and the strike also resulted in the deaths of at least one woman and two children, with dozens more wounded.

The assassination of Haniyeh has introduced further uncertainty regarding the potential for a ceasefire in Gaza. Additionally, it has created further distress for families waiting for the release of loved ones held by Hamas.

(With inputs from agencies)