Background:
Ismail Haniyeh was born in a refugee camp near Gaza in 1962. He joined Hamas in the late 1980s and gained prominence in the 1990s. Haniyeh was a close associate of Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin and served as his political advisor. Following Yassin's assassination by Israel in 2004, Haniyeh rose to a key position within Hamas.
As Hamas Chief:
In 2006, Haniyeh was elected as the Prime Minister of the Palestinian State and briefly governed Gaza. In June 2007, Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed him, leading to conflict in Gaza. Haniyeh defied Abbas' orders and continued as the Prime Minister. In 2017, he was appointed as the Hamas Chief. Subsequently, the U.S. listed him as a terrorist. Haniyeh moved to Qatar in 2019. In April this year, Hamas announced that Haniyeh's sons, grandchildren, and granddaughters were killed in Israeli attacks.
Recent Attack:
On Wednesday, an attack targeting Haniyeh's residence resulted in his death, along with his security guard.
