Ismail Haniyeh: The Rise And Fall Of The Palestinian Radical Leader – Analysis

On July 31, the news that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh had been assassinated by Mossad in Tehran after attending the inauguration of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, hit like a bombshell. There are theories that the assassination was carried out by activating an explosive device in the room where he was staying or that a short-range mortar was used. This is something that Iranian security services need to investigate, but the important thing is that Haniyeh lost his life at the hands of his greatest enemy while in the capital of a friendly state.

A shocking outcome and a massive blow to Iran, which is known for its hospitality. Thus, Haniyeh's political path, which had made him one of the most important actors in Middle Eastern politics, was suddenly halted. He was a moderate yet unyielding Palestinian radical throughout his life, and a look at his biography provides many answers not only about him but also about Hamas and the often radical Palestinian struggle.

A Childhood Spent in Hardship

Ismail Haniyeh was born on January 29, 1963, in the Al-Shati refugee camp, located in the Gaza Strip. This refugee center is also known as the "Beach Camp" because it is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It was established in 1948 during the First Arab-Israeli War, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees were expelled or fled from their homes in Jaffa, Lod, Beersheba, and elsewhere.

Haniyeh's family was from Ashkelon, which became part of the State of Israel. Growing up in harsh living conditions was challenging for Haniyeh and his family, as they lived in poverty in an overcrowded camp. They barely survived due to limited resources, and the future was filled with fears of another war. His father, Ahmed, was a laborer at local construction sites and small shops. Although their daily life was tough, the family placed great importance on education as a way to improve their lives. The family's inclination toward education greatly influenced Haniyeh's ambitions.

A Gifted Student

In elementary school, Haniyeh showed a great interest in learning. His curiosity and thirst for knowledge did not go unnoticed. He enrolled in high school in Gaza (which operated under the auspices of the UN), where he continued to excel with excellent academic results. His teachers often described him as a diligent and intelligent student. During these years, Haniyeh developed an interest in Islamic studies and political science, laying the foundation for his future career in politics. He occasionally worked in Israel to help his family. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the Islamic University of Gaza, one of the most important educational institutions in Palestine. He studied Arabic literature, and his education focused on Islamic philosophy, history, and politics. When not engaged in serious matters, he played football for the university team.

During his studies, Haniyeh was actively involved in student organizations and from 1985 to 1986, he was the leader of the Student Union, which was close to Islamist ideas. At the university, he came into contact with the ideas of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and radical Islamic teachings that had a profound impact on his political views. He was active in Islamist student circles, organizations, and associations, which later took their final form as Hamas – the Islamic resistance movement and the paramilitary wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine, which opposes the existence of Israel and advocates for a Palestinian state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. Haniyeh's political and social activity during his student days was crucial for his later political rise.

A Talented Young Politician

He graduated in Gaza in 1987, just as the First Intifada (1987-1993), a massive Palestinian revolt against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, began. That year, Palestinian imam Sheikh Ahmed Yassin formally founded Hamas, of which Haniyeh immediately became a member. Hamas emerged as a radical response to the Israeli occupation and as an alternative political option to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), led by Yasser Arafat, which dominated the PLO. As a young member of Hamas, Haniyeh became known for his commitment to Islamist ideas and participation in protests. Israeli authorities arrested and imprisoned him three times: in 1987, 1988, and 1989. Each time, after serving his sentence, he would return to dangerous street activism. In 1989, an Israeli military court sentenced him to three years in prison.

He served his sentence and in 1992 was exiled to Lebanon along with 400 Hamas activists, including prominent leaders such as Aziz Duwaik, Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, and Mahmoud Zahhar. Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders spent more than a year in Lebanon, where the movement gained significant media attention and became recognized worldwide as a radical Palestinian response to Israeli control of Gaza and the West Bank. Upon returning to Gaza, Haniyeh was appointed dean of the Islamic University. This was the first high-ranking position he held, and it was just the beginning. During the 1990s, he became a very valuable member of Hamas, taking responsibility for organizational and operational matters. His ability to coordinate numerous activities, establish connections with local communities, and carry out social projects helped Hamas create a strong support base among Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Haniyeh owes much of his political rise to excellent relations with Hamas leader Sheikh Yassin. After Yassin was released from Israeli prison in 1997, Haniyeh became his right-hand man and was appointed Hamas's representative in the Palestinian Authority. During the Second Intifada (2000-2005), Haniyeh's position continued to strengthen as many influential Hamas leaders were killed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). After Israeli forces killed Hamas founder Yassin and his successor Abdelaziz al-Rantissi, Haniyeh became one of Hamas's most prominent leaders. The Israeli military and security services also tried to assassinate him but failed, and in 2003 he was injured in an Israeli airstrike. His rise to the position of deputy head of Hamas's political bureau enabled him to become the movement's key strategic planner in 2005. That year, Israeli troops withdrew from the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister of Palestine

In the January 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, Hamas's list, led by Haniyeh, scored an unexpected victory. The elections changed the political landscape of the Palestinian territories. Hamas won 74 out of 132 seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council (parliament), allowing the party to form a new government since it had the majority. At the end of March 2006, Ismail Haniyeh was appointed Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, marking a 180-degree political turnaround. Such an outcome was a shock to Israel and Western countries, which did not believe that the radical Hamas would defeat the moderate Fatah. Israel immediately imposed economic sanctions on the Palestinian territories, as did the US and the EU, which refused to send the agreed humanitarian aid.

Haniyeh was always considered a moderate radical by observers. One of his most moderate moves was a letter to US President George W. Bush in the fall of 2006, in which he requested an end to the international boycott of humanitarian aid to Palestine, in exchange for offering a long-term truce with Israel and recognition of a Palestinian state within the 2006 borders. A response never arrived. However, events unfolded rapidly. In addition to international sanctions, Haniyeh's government faced serious challenges, including internal political conflicts with Fatah, which controlled the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. The conflicts escalated into brutal clashes and led to the complete separation of Palestinian territories. In June 2007, after several days of intense fighting with Fatah forces, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip, while Fatah retained power in the West Bank. This confrontation is known as the Battle of Gaza, which resulted in a significant number of casualties and destruction. The bloody event (a short-lived Palestinian civil war) marked the beginning of a long-lasting political division within Palestinian society. The government led by Haniyeh was dissolved by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, creating two political entities.

The Informal Leader of the Gaza Strip

After taking control of Gaza, Haniyeh became the de facto leader of the area. Under his leadership, Gaza became the center of Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation, but it also faced numerous challenges. The Israeli blockade, which followed Hamas's takeover in 2006, had a devastating impact on the economy and the humanitarian situation. Haniyeh and his regime faced criticism for their inability to manage crises, but they also remained a strong symbol of resistance and the fight for Palestinian independence. The Gaza Strip under Hamas fell into international isolation.

While the international community continued to recognize the PLO and the Palestinian Authority led by Abbas as the legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people, Hamas was declared an illegitimate usurper of power in Gaza. Moreover, Hamas was designated as a terrorist organization by the US, the EU, and many other countries due to its tendency to conduct terrorist operations against Israel and the PLO.

The biggest losers were the residents of the Gaza Strip, who lacked adequate humanitarian aid and conditions for economic development. Despite international pressure, Haniyeh managed to maintain a semblance of stability in Gaza through his rigid governance and relations with allied countries such as Qatar, Turkey, and Iran. These ties helped Hamas endure challenges and continue providing public services and maintaining order. Hamas reorganized government structures and strengthened its presence in all aspects of social life, including security forces, the judiciary, and public services. Various social programs in education, health, and infrastructure were launched to deeply integrate the movement into Palestinian society. These programs had limited success. Haniyeh had to balance between consolidating power within Hamas and providing effective services to Gaza's citizens. He was largely successful in this, as neither Hamas nor Gaza collapsed, although living conditions were far from ideal. However, apart from radicalism, Hamas's rule was also marked by bribery, corruption, nepotism, and internal conflicts. The most significant conflicts were with Israel. Notable examples include IDF operations against Hamas and Gaza, such as Operation Cast Lead in 2008-09, Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, and Operation Protective Edge in 2014. Generally, Hamas would fire rockets at Israel, and Israel would in return thoroughly devastate Gaza. City was turned into a military fortress with numerous underground tunnels and bunkers.

Leader of Hamas

Haniyeh left his position as leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip in February 2017 and permanently moved to Qatar, where he had previously resided. He was succeeded as Hamas leader in Gaza by Yahya Sinwar. However, this did not mark a decline in his political career but rather an ascent, as in May, he was appointed chairman of Hamas's political bureau, succeeding Khaled Mashal. He became the leader of the movement, a position he would hold for the next seven years. During his tenure, Haniyeh improved diplomatic relations with the PLO, Turkey, Iran, Qatar, the Houthi movement, and other Muslim countries and movements. He particularly focused on building relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which led to the US placing him on the list of the world's most-wanted terrorists in 2018.

The peak and simultaneously the beginning of the end of Haniyeh's political career was Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, known as the Al-Aqsa Flood. It was one of the most significant events in the modern history of the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to Haniyeh, the motives for the attack were calls to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Israeli blockade of Gaza, and the suffering of Palestinian refugees. According to most analysts, the real motive was to prevent the reconciliation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which was on the horizon, as well as to bring the Palestinian issue back into focus.

The Peak and Inglorious End

Although the incursion into southern Israel was, in terms of a terrorist attack, successful—resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis and the capture of 250 (including 30 children) for the purpose of prisoner exchange—it initiated a spiral of violence. There is no doubt that it was an irrational and unwise move that brought unimaginable suffering to the Palestinian people. To date, around 40,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been killed, around 20,000 are missing, 90,000 are wounded, and Gaza has largely been turned into rubble and ashes. Relations between Israel and the Muslim world, especially Iran, have drastically deteriorated. Despite the suffering, by the end of 2023, polls showed that Haniyeh had become even more popular among Palestinians and would win against the aging Abbas in an election. However, this was unlikely to happen as the International Criminal Court (ICC) launched an investigation into Haniyeh for war crimes and issued an arrest warrant.

This spring saw attacks by Israel on Iranian armed forces and embassies in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon, while Iran attacked Israel with drones and missiles, as did Hezbollah and the Yemeni Houthi movement. This year, Israelis and Palestinians are relentlessly fighting in the Gaza Strip, and in the region, Iran and its allies are fighting Israel. High-ranking officials are often targets. Ultimately, Haniyeh himself became the target of a deadly Israeli attack on July 31 after the inauguration of the new Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian. The assassination occurred a week after Hamas, Fatah, and other Palestinian factions signed an agreement to create a "temporary government of national reconciliation" and at a time when a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was being negotiated. In the end, it turned out that the saying "he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword" held true. Haniyeh launched a terrorist attack on Israel, igniting a new chapter in the Israel-Palestine war, and in the end, he became a victim himself, along with about 60 members of his family.

Haniyeh's Place in History

Haniyeh's life and political career are a direct consequence of the international division of Palestine and the ensuing wars and crises. Haniyeh is a product of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which literally shaped his life from beginning to end. The difficult situation of Palestinians under Israeli occupation laid the foundation for his radicalization. If the international community had resolved the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the 1960s or 1970s, Haniyeh might today be a respected professor or Islamic cleric.

Although Haniyeh was considered a moderate radical, he remained a radical nonetheless. It turns out that, unfortunately, he was unable to break free from the vicious cycle of hatred and intolerance that has shaped relations between the two peoples over the last century. At the time of Haniyeh's death, the Palestinian issue was no closer to resolution than it was at the time of his birth or when he entered politics. It shows that a permanent and final solution for the Holy Land will need to be achieved by politicians who can transcend established frameworks and be radical in accepting some new compromise and Solomon-like solutions. Unfortunately, Haniyeh was not a politician of that caliber. Therefore, his place in history will serve as a warning, not as a model for future generations. In other words, radicalism leads to nothing good.