Ismail Haniyeh, a high chief of the designated Palestinian terrorist group Hamas who was killed in Tehran on July 31, was a controversial determine whose loss of life may escalate tensions within the Center East and derail negotiations to finish Israel’s battle within the Gaza Strip.
Haniyeh was the political chief of Hamas, which has been designated as a terrorist group by the US and the European Union. Primarily based in Qatar, he had performed a key position in internationally brokered talks on reaching a cease-fire in Gaza.
A U.S.-designated terrorist, Haniyeh was thought of a relative reasonable throughout the group.
Flash Evaluation: The Killing Of Ismail Haniyeh
The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in a complicated northern Tehran neighborhood — only some hours after the focused killing of a high Lebanese Hizballah commander in Beirut — is a significant embarrassment for the Islamic republic and its safety providers. As not too long ago as July 30, the Hamas chief had met with Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was then given a hero’s welcome in parliament throughout new President Masud Pezeshkian’s inauguration ceremony, through which representatives of different Iranian proxy teams within the area have been current.
Haniyeh’s assassination additionally, in impact, eliminates the potential of a hostage deal between Hamas and Israel within the close to future, prolonging the battle in Gaza, and dramatically growing the danger of a wider battle within the area.
In a swift response, Khamenei promised “extreme punishment” for Israel, saying revenge was a “obligation.” The final time Khamenei used such language was in April when the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps launched a whole lot of drones and missiles at Israel following the assassination of a high Iranian common in Iran’s consulate in Damascus.
A army response by Tehran at this stage appears sure, however the problem for Khamenei and Iran’s proxies is to calibrate it to keep away from an all-out battle, one thing the Islamic republic doesn’t need at this level.
— Kambiz Fattahi, director of RFE/RL’s Radio Farda
Hamas’s army wing is led by Yahya Sinwar, the chief based mostly in Gaza who is taken into account the mastermind of the group’s assault inside Israeli territory on October 7 that killed greater than 1,200 folks and sparked Israel’s retaliatory invasion of the Palestinian enclave later that month.
Haniyeh, who was born in a Palestinian refugee camp, died on the age of 62. No state or group has claimed accountability for his killing, though Tehran has blamed Israel and vowed revenge. Whereas Israel has not commented on the incident, Haniyeh had been excessive on Israel’s hit record for the reason that October assault.
Greater than 39,000 folks have been killed in Gaza, based on Palestinian well being officers within the territory, as worldwide requires a cease-fire have gone unanswered.
Haniyeh, who would have been a high voice in any peace negotiations, was in Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian, who was sworn in on July 30. The 2 leaders have been pictured collectively in the course of the go to in pictures launched by Pezeshkian’s workplace.
Haniyeh was born within the Al-Shati refugee camp west of Gaza Metropolis. His household is initially from an space that’s now the Israeli port of Ashkelon, north of the Gaza Strip. The household fled the world in the course of the 1948 Arab-Israeli Battle and moved to Gaza.
Haniyeh joined Hamas as a college scholar shortly after it was based in 1987 after the start of the First Intifada, which protested Israel’s occupation of the West Financial institution, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
That 12 months, Haniyeh was arrested and briefly jailed for taking part in anti-Israel protests. He additionally graduated in 1987 with a level in Arabic literature from the Islamic College of Gaza.
In 1988, Haniyeh was arrested once more and jailed for six months, and in 1989 he was sentenced to a few years in jail as a result of his involvement with Hamas.
After his launch in 1992, Haniyeh was amongst a whole lot of Hamas members and supporters who have been exiled to southern Lebanon. Haniyeh spent a 12 months on the Marj al-Zahour camp earlier than returning to Gaza to turn into a dean at his alma mater, the Islamic College of Gaza.
When Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin was launched from an Israeli jail in 1997, Haniyeh was tapped to go his workplace and the 2 developed an in depth relationship. Haniyeh’s prominence inside Hamas rose rapidly and he was chosen to symbolize the group within the Palestinian Authority, which runs a part of the West Financial institution.
Haniyeh and Yassin narrowly escaped an Israeli air strike in September 2003 that focused their residence in Gaza Metropolis. Yassin was killed six months later by an Israeli air strike.
Within the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, Haniyeh headed the record of Hamas candidates.
Below the slogan “change and reform,” 76 out of 132 parliamentary seats went to Hamas.
With a majority secured, newly nominated Prime Minister Haniyeh set about forming a authorities.
A number of weeks of negotiations to kind a coalition authorities between Hamas, its foremost rival Fatah, and different Palestinian teams failed — largely as a result of Hamas’s refusal to simply accept circumstances set out by the US, Russia, United Nations, and European Union, which included recognition of the state of Israel.
Shortly after its landslide victory, Hamas mentioned it could not again down from its purpose of changing Israel with an Islamic state and indicated that it could resist negotiations to resolve the long-standing battle with Israel.
Haniyeh finally shaped a authorities made up largely of Hamas members and technocrats.
In presenting his authorities’s plan, Haniyeh additionally known as on the US and Europe to not perform their threats to halt support to the Hamas-led authorities except it acknowledged Israel, renounced violence, and abided by agreements underneath earlier Israeli-Palestinian agreements geared toward a two-state resolution.
Haniyeh mentioned that he thought of the continuation of the Palestinians’ wrestle for independence to be a “authentic proper.” He additionally expressed openness to have interaction in talks with worldwide negotiators to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian battle.
“Our authorities will spare no effort to attain a simply peace within the area, finish the occupation, and restore our rights,” he mentioned, though Hamas remained steadfast in its refusal to acknowledge the state of Israel.
In June 2007, open violence broke out between Hamas and Fatah, and Hamas took full management of the Gaza Strip. Shortly afterward, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the Hamas-led authorities.
The inner conflicts among the many Palestinian teams led to the de facto division of management of the Palestinian territories, with the West Financial institution managed by the Palestinian Nationwide Authority and Hamas in command of the Gaza Strip.
Israel, which had pulled its forces out of the Gaza strip two years earlier, imposed a land, sea, and air blockade on the Hamas-controlled territory that’s nonetheless in impact.
In 2011, the US requested that Qatar present a headquarters for Hamas’s political management to facilitate communications. Haniyeh moved to Doha in 2016 and the following 12 months changed Khaled Mashal as the top of Hamas’s political workplace.
The U.S. State Division added Haniyeh to its record of Specifically Designated World Terrorists, a classification Washington mentioned focused terrorist teams and leaders who threaten the steadiness of the Center East.
The State Division famous that Hamas had been designated a International Terrorist Group in 1997 and added to the record of Specifically Designated World Terrorists in 2001.
In extending the terrorist designation to Haniyeh himself, the State Division defined: “Haniyeh has shut hyperlinks with Hamas’ army wing and has been a proponent of armed wrestle, together with in opposition to civilians. He has reportedly been concerned in terrorist assaults in opposition to Israeli residents. Hamas has been chargeable for an estimated 17 American lives killed in terrorist assaults.”
Following the lethal shock assault by Hamas on Israeli cities and cities on October 7, Haniyeh and different Hamas leaders appeared in a video through which they thanked God for the assault’s success.
Three of Haniyeh’s sons — Hazem, Amir, and Haniyeh — have reportedly been killed by Israeli air strikes in opposition to the Gaza Strip for the reason that Israel-Hamas battle started.
Haniyeh is survived by his spouse and cousin, Amal Haniyeh, with whom he had 13 kids, together with eight sons and 5 daughters.