Richard Krauss
31. Juli 2024
Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was killed in an airstrike on July 31, 2024, during a visit to Tehran.
BEIRUT / TEHRAN : Ismail Haniyeh, a leading figure of the terrorist organization Hamas, born on January 29, 1963 in the al-Shati refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, served as Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority.
On July 31, 2024, Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an airstrike during a visit to Tehran. Hamas blamed Israel for the attack, although the exact circumstances of his death are still under investigation.
Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the inauguration of the new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Haniyeh was instrumental in the strategic planning and execution of numerous Hamas military operations, including rocket attacks on Israeli cities, suicide bombings, and armed attacks on Israeli civilians and military personnel.
Under his leadership, Hamas played a central role in raising and distributing funds for terrorist activities, often collected through international networks and donations, some under humanitarian guise.
During the First Intifada, Haniyeh was detained several times by Israeli authorities. After his release in 1992 and his return to Lebanon from exile, he quickly rose through the ranks of the Hamas terrorist organization.
In 2006, Haniyeh led Hamas to victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections and became Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority until he took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 following an internal conflict with the Fatah movement.
As a leading figure of the terrorist organization, he is also responsible for the horrific rocket attack in July 2024 on an Israeli village in the Golan Heights, in which over 12 children and teenagers were killed.
Examples of his involvement in terrorist activities:
The terrorist organization Hamas, of which Ismail Haniyeh was a member, is classified as a terrorist organization by numerous countries and organizations, including the US, the EU and Israel. This classification is based on a long history of violence and acts of terror committed by Hamas to achieve its political and ideological goals.
Key roles and activities:
Military operations: As a leading member and later political leader of Hamas, Haniyeh was involved in the strategic planning and execution of numerous military operations. These operations include rocket attacks on Israeli cities, suicide bombings and armed attacks on Israeli civilians and military personnel.
Financing of terrorism: Haniyeh has played a key role in raising and distributing funds used for Hamas terrorist activities. These funds were often raised through international networks and donations, some of which were channeled through humanitarian fronts.
Violence in Gaza: Under Haniyeh's leadership, Hamas has repeatedly used violence in Gaza to consolidate its power and suppress political opponents. This includes the violent takeover of Gaza in 2007, which killed or injured numerous members of the rival Fatah movement.
Use of human shields: Hamas has been repeatedly accused of using civilians as human shields to protect military and strategic targets. This practice violates international humanitarian law and is considered a war crime.