*Ismail Haniyeh:
A Palestinian Political Figure*
Ismail Haniyeh was a Palestinian political figure who served as the leader of Hamas from 2017 until his assassination on July 31, 2024 ¹. Here are some key points about his life and career:
- *Early Life*: Haniyeh was born in 1962 or 1963 in the al-Shati refugee camp in the Egyptian-controlled Gaza Strip ¹. His parents were expelled or fled from Ashkelon during the 1948 Palestine war ¹.
- *Education*: Haniyeh gained a bachelor's degree in Arabic literature in 1987 from the Islamic University of Gaza ¹. He became involved with Hamas while at university ¹.
- *Political Career*: Haniyeh was the head of the Hamas list that won the Palestinian legislative elections of 2006 ¹. He became Prime Minister of the State of Palestine but was dismissed by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, on June 14, 2007 ¹. He continued to exercise prime ministerial authority in the Gaza Strip ¹.
- *Leader of Hamas*: Haniyeh was elected chairman of Hamas's Political Bureau on May 6, 2017, replacing Khaled Mashal ¹. He was seen as one of the more pragmatic and moderate figures in Hamas ¹.
- *Assassination*: Haniyeh was assassinated by an alleged Israeli strike in his residence in Tehran, Iran, on July 31, 2024 ¹. He had been living in Qatar from 2017 until his death ¹.