Ismail Haniyeh assassination: Who was Haniyeh and what was his role within Hamas?

Ismail Haniyeh, the prominent Hamas leader, met a sudden and dramatic end on Wednesday morning in Iran’s Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hamas both reported that Haniyeh, along with his Iranian bodyguard, was killed in a raid attributed to Israel, though specifics about the assassination remain unclear.

Just a day ago, on Tuesday, Haniyeh was in the Iranian capital for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian, where he was photographed with key Iranian officials.

Now, his death has ignited interest in his background, his role within Hamas and the trajectory of his life. Here's a summary of the key details about him.
Who was Haniyeh and what was his role within Hamas?
A central figure in Hamas, Haniyeh’s influence spanned both political and militant spheres. His career began as a student activist at Gaza City's Islamic University, where he joined Hamas amid the First Palestinian Intifada in 1987.

His early involvement in Hamas’s radical activities led to multiple arrests by Israeli authorities. After being released and briefly exiled to southern Lebanon in 1992, Haniyeh returned to Gaza.

There, he quickly ascended within the movement, becoming a protégé of Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmad Yassin. Haniyeh’s rise continued as he became Yassin’s trusted aide, notably facilitating communication between Yassin and others despite the leader's severe paralysis.

Yassin’s assassination by Israel in 2004 did not slow Haniyeh’s momentum. By 2006, he had led Hamas to a surprising victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, becoming the ‘Prime Minister of the State of Palestine’. However, the victory was met with resistance from both international backers of the Palestinian Authority and domestic rival Fatah, leading to a split between Gaza and the West Bank.

In 2017, Haniyeh stepped down as Hamas’ Gaza leader, shifting to the role of chairman of Hamas’ Political Bureau. Relocating to Qatar in 2018, he managed the group’s political operations from Doha until his assassination.

Despite his outward hardline stance, Haniyeh was seen by some Arab diplomats as relatively pragmatic compared to other Hamas figures.
The circumstances surrounding his death, particularly in Tehran immediately following the inauguration of Iran’s new president, mark a significant as well as embarrassing blow for the Islamic Republic. Haniyeh’s family also suffered grievous losses earlier this year when an Israeli airstrike killed three of his sons and four of his grandchildren.

Haniyeh’s role in bolstering Hamas's military capabilities and fostering ties with Iran underscores the broader impact of his leadership on Middle Eastern geopolitics. Now, how the full ripple effects of his untimely death on the complex web of regional politics and militant dynamics unfold remain to be seen.