Ismail Haniyeh is a prominent Palestinian politician and a senior leader of Hamas, serving as the chairman of Hamas’s political bureau.
He was born in the Al-Shati refugee camp in the Gaza Strip in 1962.
Haniyeh has been involved with Hamas since his university days and has held various leadership positions within the organization.
He was the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip from 2006 until February 2017, when he was elected chairman of Hamas’s Political Bureau, replacing Khaled Mashaal.
Haniyeh has also served as the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip.
He is known for advocating a political role for Hamas and has been involved in various political agreements and negotiations with other Palestinian factions.
How old is Ismail Haniyeh?
Haniyeh was born on January 29, 1962, making him 61 years old as of November 2023.
Ismail Haniyeh wife
Haniyeh is married to Amal Haniyeh, and the couple has 13 children.
Amal prefers to keep a low profile and remains largely out of the public eye, unlike her husband.
There is not much information available about her, as she refrains from seeking the limelight and opts to safeguard her personal life from prying eyes.
Ismail Haniyeh son
According to multiple sources, Hazem Ismail Haniyeh, the son of Haniyeh, was killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in an attack on the family home in Gaza City.
This incident occurred on October 17, 2023, and resulted in the deaths of several family members of Haniyeh, including his son, brother and nephew.
Additionally, it was reported that Haniyeh’s granddaughter was also killed in an IDF attack in Gaza on November 10, 2023.
Ismail Haniyeh house
Haniyeh’s house, located in the Shati refugee camp on the northern outskirts of Gaza City, has been the target of Israeli airstrikes.
The family residence was hit by an airstrike, resulting in the destruction of the house.
Haniyeh has been living in luxurious “exile” in Qatar since 2019, and his residence in Gaza has been unoccupied for over two years.
The destruction of the house has been part of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, with Israeli forces targeting the residences of senior Hamas leaders as part of their efforts to counter the militant group.
This event is part of the broader context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the ongoing tensions between Israel and Hamas.
Where does Ismail Haniyeh live?
Haniyeh currently lives in Qatar.
He has been residing between Turkey and Qatar since 2019.
Despite being born in the Al-Shati refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, he has been living in Qatar for several years.
This information is supported by various sources, including news articles and Wikipedia.
Is Ismail Haniyeh Shia or Sunni
Ismail Haniyeh is a Sunni Muslim.
What is a Sunni muslim?
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85-90% of the world’s Muslims, and is the largest religious denomination in the world.
The name “Sunni” comes from the word Sunnah, which refers to the tradition of Muhammad.
Sunni Islam is based on the belief that the Prophet Muhammad died without appointing a successor to lead the Muslim community (ummah).
According to Sunni traditions, Muhammad left no successor and the participants of the Saqifah event appointed Abu Bakr as the next-in-line (the first caliph).
Sunni Muslims recognize the first four caliphs as the Prophet Muhammad’s rightful successors, whereas the Shiʿah believe that Muslim leadership belonged to Muhammad’s son-in-law, ʿAlī, and his descendants alone.
Sunni Islam claims to represent the Muslim consensus concerning the teachings and habits of the Prophet.
Sunni Islam is sometimes referred to as “orthodox Islam,” though some scholars view this translation as inappropriate.
The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagreement over the succession to Muhammad and subsequently acquired broader political significance, as well as theological and juridical dimensions.
Shia muslim
On the other hand, Shia Islam, also known as Shi’ite Islam, is the second largest branch of Islam after Sunni Islam.
Shias adhere to the teachings of Muhammad and the religious guidance of his family, known as the Ahl al-Bayt, or his descendants known as Shia Imams.
They believe that Muhammad’s bloodline continues only through his daughter Fatima Zahra and cousin Ali, who, alongside Muhammad’s grandsons, comprise the Ahl al-Bayt.
Shias consider Muhammad’s descendants as the true source of guidance along with the teaching of Muhammad.
The term “Shia” derives from the Arabic term Shīʿat ʿAlī, meaning “partisans of Ali” or “followers of Ali”.
Shia Islam developed out of a dispute between the Prophet Muhammad’s followers over who would succeed him as the leader of the Muslim community.
The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagreement over the succession to Muhammad and subsequently acquired broader political significance, as well as theological and juridical dimensions.
According to Sunni traditions, Muhammad left no successor, and the participants of the Saqifah event appointed Abu Bakr as the next-in-line (the first caliph).
What is Ismail Haniyeh’s net worth?
Haniyeh is estimated to have a net worth of about $4 billion.
He, along with other Hamas leaders, is reported to live a luxurious lifestyle, primarily in Qatar, while the people of Gaza, over which Hamas has ruled since 2007, suffer from poverty.
The wealth of these leaders has been a subject of concern and criticism, especially given the economic hardships faced by the population they govern.
Ismail Haniyeh connection to Hamas
Haniyeh is a senior political leader of Hamas and the current chairman of Hamas’s political bureau.
Her links with Hamas started in the mid-1990s, and he rose through the ranks of the organization.
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, he was elected chairman of Hamas’s Political Bureau, replacing Khaled Mashaal.
He has been associated with clashes with Israel, including different military showdowns that have brought about the death toll and broad obliteration in the Gaza Strip.
What is the history of Gaza City?
Gaza City, the principal urban center of the Gaza Strip, has a rich and complex history that spans over 4,000 years.
The city has been ruled, destroyed, and repopulated by various dynasties, empires and peoples.
The known history of Gaza begins with its establishment as a Canaanite settlement, and it has been under the control of various powers throughout its history, including the Egyptians, Romans, Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians.
The city was an important center of the Philistine Pentapolis and played a significant role in ancient trade routes, experiencing little peace due to its strategic location.
In modern history, Gaza City was under Egyptian military rule from 1949 to 1956 and again from 1957 to 1967.
The influx of Palestinian Arab refugees into the area following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war led to significant social and economic challenges, with large numbers of refugees living in extreme poverty in squalid camps.
The city’s history is also marked by the Israeli occupation, which began after the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, and the subsequent blockade that has led to chronic shortages of basic items and stymied long-term economic development.
In 2005, Gaza City came under Palestinian control, and it has since been the site of escalating violence between competing groups, with Hamas taking control of the Gaza Strip in 2007.
The city has faced multiple military assaults, exacerbating its already dire situation.
Today, Gaza City remains a densely populated and impoverished urban center, home to around 2 million Palestinians, with chronic problems such as access to education, healthcare and clean water.
Despite its tumultuous history, Gaza City continues to be a resilient and culturally rich urban center, with a heritage that reflects the complexities of the region’s past and present.
Hamas tunnels inside Gaza City
The tunnels inside Gaza City serve various purposes, including smuggling, warfare and storage.
These tunnels are a crucial part of the underground network that allows Hamas and other militant groups to store and shield weapons, communicate, train, launch offensive attacks, transport hostages and retreat without being detected by Israeli or Egyptian authorities.
The network is colloquially referred to as the “Gaza metro”.
The tunnels stretch for hundreds of kilometers and are a key reason why Hamas is stronger in Gaza than in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The underground city includes narrower, deep smuggling tunnels that were still operating until recently between Egypt and Gaza, but they had slowed to a near-halt since the Israel-Hamas war started.
The tunnels are wired with electricity and reinforced by concrete, and experts believe that diggers using basic tools likely burrowed deep underground to construct the network.
The tunnels have been an attractive tool of warfare for Hamas, offering them an edge in asymmetric warfare and negating some of the technological advantages of a more advanced military like the IDF.
The tunnels are also used as an all-purpose military compound, including military headquarters, sleeping quarters and workshops to make and store rockets.
The Israeli military has taken analysts into Hamas tunnels that crossed from Gaza into southern Israel, describing them as humid, suffocating, narrow and disorienting.
With Israeli ground troops deep inside Gaza, the tunnels have become a key factor in the fighting, with Israeli troops spotting Hamas fighters emerging from a tunnel near the Erez crossing point, the northern border of Gaza.
