Palestine’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, rose to fame and recognition
as the head of Hamas, which is an Islamic resistance movement. Aramide and
Resilience mark his life, career, and controversy since he has opted to support
the Palestinians right up to this time. Studying Haniyeh’s experience helps in
comprehending the essential data concerning Middle Eastern politics and the
Israeli-Arab conflict.
Early
life and education
Haniyeh is Ismail Abdel Salam Ahmed Haniyeh, and he was born
on January 29th, 1963, in the Al-Shati refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. His
parents were born in the small village of Al-Jura near Ashkelon. Together with
his ancestors, they became refugees due to the conflict of the 1948
Arab-Israeli war. While growing up in a refugee
camp, like many Palestinians, Haniyeh witnessed the suffering and difficulties
of the Palestinian people, which influenced his vision and political ambitions.
Haniyeh completes his initial education level at the valued
Islamic University of Gaza, where he graduated in Arabic literature. He
was active in student politics, which became the stepping stone towards his
political career. He was also affiliated with the
Islamic student group, which was an antecedent to his participation in the
Hamas organization.
Rise
in Hamas
Haniyeh became a member of the Hamas group in the late
1980’s, after the formation of this militant group in 1987 in the context of the
First Intifada, a Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation. The
movement led by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was for social welfare and the fight for
liberation from Israel’s occupation. Haniyeh
sharpened his organizational competence and discipline, which granted him a
position in the leadership echelon of the group.
In particular, Haniyeh was deported to south Lebanon in 1992
by the Israeli government together with the other leaders of Hamas. This
experience made his determination to proceed with the movement much stronger. Upon
his return to Gaza, he comprehensively climbed the unknown ladder to be a close
associate of Sheik Yassin.
Political Ascent
Thus, the political career of Haniyeh began in 2006, when the
Hamas contested the Palestinian legislative elections for the first time. In
the 2006 elections, the movement emerged victorious, clinching 74 of the 132
seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council. This victory
bewildered the international community and changed the dynamics of Palestinian
politics.
After the election, Haniyeh was appointed the Prime Minister
of the Palestinian Authority. Nevertheless, his term was
characterized by severe political competition with the Fatah movement headed by
Mahmoud Abbas. This internal conflict degenerated
into a fight, which later resulted in Hamas seizing full control of the Gaza
Strip in 2007. It resulted in the separation of
the Palestinian territories, with Hamas controlling Gaza and the Palestinian
Authority in charge of the West Bank.
Governance and Challenges
Challenges that faced Haniyeh as the leader of Gaza were
introduced below. The Israeli regime sealed off the
territory, cutting off supply and movement of people. This
blockade, along with common military operations, entailed a severe humanitarian
crisis for the inhabitants of Gaza, numbering 2 million.
Essentially, Haniyeh’s administration continued to ensure
security and deliver social services within a restricted envelope. However,
international society regarded Hamas more as a terrorist group, which resulted
in poor recognition and inaccessibility to funds. Still,
Haniyeh continued serving as an official representative for the Palestinian
cause and the struggle against Israel’s occupation.
Shift to an International Role
Several years later, in 2017, Haniyeh was elected as the head
of Hamas’ political bureau as a successor to Khaled Mashal. This
new position promoted him to a more intensive international level, where he had
the authority to speak for Hamas in diplomacy and bargaining. Through
inheriting a similar brand of politics from Ahmadinejad, Haniyeh endeavored to
consolidate the new relations with Iran, Qatar, and Turkey, in addition to
improving the understanding of the regional affiliations with other Middle East
nations.
Continuing to seek Fatah and other Palestinian faction
reconciliations, the following years under Haniyeh’s leadership were marked by
negotiations. However, all these attempts aimed
at uniting the people were faced with challenges such as mistrust and variation
in political plans.
Death
and Legacy
The details of the death of Haniyeh are still not very clear
and are still debated to this day. Some sources
claim that he was killed in an Israeli airstrike; however, details surrounding
his death are vague, and although there are confirmations from both the Hamas
and Israeli governments regarding this man’s death, they remain rather close to
the chest regarding the circumstances of his demise. His death
might indicate a change in the acts within Hamas and the Palestinian political
landscape in general, as it did with Arafat’s death earlier.
Haniyeh's legacy is multifaceted. To his
supporters, he is a hero and a fighter for the Palestinian cause and struggle. However,
when he leads people in Gaza, this is regarded as strength, and he stands up
for his people no matter the situation. His critics
counter by accusing him of inciting violence and terrorism, thus causing more
harm to the Palestinians and holding reunions for their state.
Ismail Haniyeh's
Somali life and political career sum up the issue and the puzzle of Palestine. To
sum up, Haniyeh is a perfect example, whose biography corresponds to the
general line of the Palestinian state’s development from his origins in a
refugee camp to becoming one of the leaders of the Hamas organization. The
death of Hani is a quiet loss to the Hamas organization, and people can wonder
about the future of the movement. However, it
can now be confidently stated that Haniyeh’s story will also occupy a large
part of the story of the confrontation between Israel and Palestine.
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