Ismail Haniyeh
Ismail Haniyeh (born 29 January 1962) is a Palestinian politician who is a senior political leader of Hamas, the current chairman of Hamas’s political bureau; as of 2023, Haniyeh lives in Qatar.
Ismail Haniyeh | |
|---|---|
إسماعيل هنية | |
Haniyeh in 2020 | |
| Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority | |
| In office 29 March 2006 – 2 June 2014 Disputed from 14 June 2007* | |
| President | |
| Preceded by | Ahmed Qurei |
| Succeeded by | Rami Hamdallah |
| Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2017 | |
| Deputy | Saleh al-Arouri (2017–2024) |
| Preceded by | Khaled Mashal |
| Hamas Chief in the Gaza Strip | |
| In office 2 June 2014 – 13 February 2017 | |
| Leader | Khaled Mashal |
| Succeeded by | Yahya Sinwar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 January 1962 Al-Shati refugee camp, Gaza Strip |
| Nationality | Palestinian |
| Political party | Hamas |
| Children | 13 |
| Residence(s) | Doha, Qatar |
| Alma mater | Islamic University of Gaza |
| *Haniyeh was dismissed on 14 June 2007 by Abbas, who appointed Fayyad instead. This was deemed illegal by the Legislative Council, which continued to recognise Haniyeh. The Palestinian Authority govern the West Bank while Hamas govern the Gaza Strip. A unity government was formed in 2014. | |
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Officeholders whose status is disputed are shown in italics |
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Member state of the Arab League |
| Palestine portal |
Haniyeh was born in the Al-Shati refugee camp in the Gaza Strip in 1962. He studied at the Islamic University of Gaza, where he first became involved with Hamas, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Arabic literature in 1987. Appointed to head a Hamas office in 1997, he has since grown in the ranks of the organization.
Haniyeh was head of the Hamas list that won the Palestinian legislative elections of 2006, and so became Prime Minister of the State of Palestine. President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Haniyeh from office on 14 June 2007 at the height of the Fatah–Hamas conflict, but Haniyeh did not acknowledge the decree and continued to exercise prime ministerial authority in the Gaza Strip.
Haniyeh was the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip from 2006 until February 2017, when he was replaced by Yahya Sinwar. On 6 May 2017, Haniyeh was elected chairman of Hamas's Political Bureau, replacing Khaled Mashaal; at the time, Haniyeh relocated from Gaza to Qatar.