July 31, 2024
In the early hours of Wednesday, July 31, reports emerged that Hamas terror leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion while he was visiting the Iranian capital of Tehran for the inauguration of its new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. Prior to his assassination, Haniyeh had met with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
As the terror group’s exiled political leader, Haniyeh, 62, played a central role in the support and legitimization of the October 7 massacre that killed over 1,200 Israelis and took more than 250 hostages. Following the October 7 attack, Haniyeh appeared on TV, saying, “We need the blood of women, children, and the elderly of Gaza – so it awakens our revolutionary spirit.” While Israel has not taken responsibility for the assassination, Israel has been clear about its intent to target those who are responsible for October 7. Haniyeh's was the second high-profile assassination of an Iranian-backed terror leader in less than 24 hours, as top Hezbollah terror commander Fued Shukr had been killed in a precision Israeli airstrike in Beirut over his role in the deadly rocket attack on July 27 that killed 12 Druze children on a soccer field in northern Israel.
Here is what you need to know about Ismail Haniyeh and his role in growing diplomatic and military support for the Hamas terror group.
Who was Ismail Haniyeh?
Haniyeh was born in 1962 in the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza. He became involved with Hamas during the First Intifada, a violent Palestinian uprising, in the late 1980s. Over the years, he rose through the ranks of the organization, becoming a key aide to Hamas co-founder and spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who was instrumental in establishing Hamas as a violent terror group that called for Israel’s elimination and replacement with an Islamic state within historic Palestine.
Haniyeh's influence within Hamas grew significantly after Yassin's assassination by Israel in 2004.
Haniyeh rose through the ranks of the terror organization helping Hamas expand its relations abroad, especially with its top terror sponsor, Iran.
What was Ismail Haniyeh’s leadership role in Hamas?
After Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, Haniyeh was appointed as the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA). However, tensions between Hamas and the rival Fatah faction led to a split in the Palestinian territories. Following bloody clashes in 2007, Hamas violently took control of the Gaza Strip, executing Fatah loyalists, and Haniyeh became the de facto leader of the territory. As a result of the terror takeover, Israel and Egypt imposed a land, sea, and air blockade on the territory.
In 2017, Haniyeh was elected as the head of Hamas' political bureau, the highest-ranking position within the terror group. As the leader of Hamas, Haniyeh oversaw the terror organization’s political and military strategies, international relations, and governance activities in Gaza. In 2018, Haniyeh was named a “specially designated global terrorist” by the United States.
After taking the role as political chief, Haniyeh went into exile from Gaza to Qatar. While he wasn’t exiled in the traditional sense, being outside of Gaza in Qatar allowed Haniyeh more freedom to conduct political and diplomatic affairs for Hamas.
As a senior leader of Hamas living in exile in Qatar, Haniyeh also accumulated considerable wealth before his death. In 2024, he had an estimated net worth of $4 billion, including earnings from his leadership role in Hamas and various other financial activities related to his position. Reports suggest that significant funds came from aid, kickbacks, and control over various enterprises in Gaza and other regions. Haniyeh’s luxurious lifestyle in Qatar sharply contrasted with the conditions faced by Gazans.
What was Ismail Haniyeh’s relationship with Iran?
Under Haniyeh’s leadership, Hamas forged close ties with a number of Middle Eastern countries, as well as with Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; the organization maintained political operations in Qatar, where Haniyeh resided, and depended – for funding, weaponry, and technical and other support on its chief terror sponsor, Iran.
As Hamas’ chief political and diplomatic leader, Haniyeh and other leaders of the terror group maintained political and diplomatic ties with Iran. These relations involved regular meetings and consultations to coordinate strategies, particularly concerning terrorism against Israel. Haniyeh visited Iran numerous times, including on the day of his assassination, where he met with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has provided significant financial and military assistance to Hamas, including during Haniyeh's leadership. This support has helped Hamas build its military capabilities, particularly the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing. Iran has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas as well as advanced training, rocket and mortars, and supplies to build its vast network of terror tunnels that have been used to hold hostages and attack Israel.
The support by Iran over the years has enabled Hamas to fire tens of thousands of rockets at Israel and ignite several wars over the past two decades, as well as carry out the October 7 massacre.
Iran's backing is part of its broader strategy of supporting the “axis of resistance” of terror groups across the Middle East with the goal of Israel’s destruction.
What has been the reaction to Haniyeh’s assassination?
Predictably, Haniyeh’s death has sent shockwaves throughout the Middle East and the world, particularly among Hamas supporters across the region. Iran announced three days of mourning for Haniyeh, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei accusing Israel of carrying out the killing and promising “harsh punishment” in response.
Turkish President Erdoğan called Haniyeh, "my brother," and wrote on X, "This assassination is a vileness that aims to disrupt the Palestinian cause, Gaza's noble resistance and our Palestinian siblings' rightful struggle, to break the will of Palestinians, and to intimidate them. However, just as until today, the Zionist barbarism will not reach its goals."
Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov remarked, "This is an absolutely unacceptable political murder, and it will lead to further escalation of tensions."
Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani called the assassination "a heinous crime, a dangerous escalation, and a blatant violation of international and humanitarian law."
Despite Haniyeh’s role in the bloody overthrow of the Palestinian Authority from Gaza, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called for a national day of mourning for the terror leader, describing the assassination as a “cowardly act and dangerous development.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the U.S. was “not aware of or involved” in the targeted killing of Haniyeh.“I think that nothing takes away from the importance of getting to the ceasefire,” he said.
In the wake of the two assassinations of Hezbollah and Hamas terror leaders, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Wednesday, reaffirming U.S. commitment to Israel’s security. “Secretary Austin reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and right to self-defense,” a readout from the Pentagon said.
The White House said early Wednesday that it was aware of the death of Haniyeh, but did not comment further.
“The White House has seen the reports of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh being killed in Iran,” a spokesperson said, but declined to immediately comment further.
