Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’s political bureau, is said to have been killed after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked his home in Gaza. This is a groundbreaking and unprecedented occurrence. It is believed that Ismail Haniyeh currently resides in Qatar, a country whose stance on terrorism has drawn criticism.
The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, and other major Israeli news publications have all covered this story extensively, often quoting reports from Arabic-language and Hamas-affiliated media.
Haniyeh, a key figure in the terrorist group Hamas, has been living in exile voluntarily with some members of his family for several years. More than 1,400 Israelis were killed, 5,300 were injured, and 240 were kidnapped as a result of Hamas’ terrible act of terrorism while he was in charge. This signaled a frightening upsurge in violence in the region.
Israel has responded by saying it will destroy the Hamas terrorist organization and terminate Hamas’ political rule over the Palestinian lands in the Gaza Strip. Fourteen people, including Haniyeh’s brother and nephew, were killed in an airstrike on one of his estates recently.
Since becoming prime minister of the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip after Hamas’s 2006 electoral victory, Ismail Haniyeh has seen a substantial increase in his personal wealth. At the moment, he is in charge of Hamas on a political level.
In particular, Haniyeh had an impact on the Gazan economy by imposing taxes on Egyptian commodities entering the Gaza Strip. The Times of Israel reports that senior Hamas figures, including Haniyeh, have imposed a 20% tax on any trade conducted through the tunnels. Approximately 1,700 senior Hamas officials became billionaires thanks to the smuggling market, which was made possible in large part by the tunnels, according to a senior Palestinian Authority official.
Israel has made capturing or killing Ismail Haniyeh one of its top priorities in light of recent events. Since the massacre on October 7, efforts to find and arrest those responsible for the violence in the region have accelerated.