The death of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has once again reminded us that Israel’s revenge is as cold-blooded as in films and popular web series. There is not the slightest difference in it. After the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant had referred to Hamas leaders saying that “they are living on borrowed time.”
Reports suggest that a poster is hanging on the wall of the Israeli Defense Minister’s office in Tel Aviv, showing Hamas faces, including Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Ismail Haniyeh. This is the leadership of the terrorist organization Hamas, which has made Qatar its base in recent years. Israel considers them its villains.
When the news of Ismail Haniyeh’s death came to the media on Wednesday morning, the world was stunned. The terrorist organization Hamas claims that Israel carried out a ‘treacherous attack on Haniya’s residence in Tehran’. 62-year-old Haniya and one of his bodyguards died in this attack.
Let us tell you that Hamas chief Haniya had gone to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. He died in an attack in Tehran the very next day of the Iranian President’s swearing-in. The murder of a foreign guest on Iran’s soil along with the swearing-in of the new President has created an uproar in the politics and diplomacy of West Asia.
The life of Sunni Muslim Ismail Haniyeh, who became the face of Hamas, is the story of a radical idea becoming a political ambition. Haniya’s parents were Palestinians and he was born during the Arab-Israeli war. He spent his childhood in a refugee camp. This child felt the misery and suffering of the Palestinians.
This bitter experience shaped his political views. After completing primary education, Haniya started studying Arabic literature at the Islamic University of Gaza. Here he became actively active in student politics. Here Ismail Haniyya led the Islamic Students Organization affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood. This role shaped Haniyya’s leadership in Hamas.
Ismail Haniyeh’s political career began with the establishment of Hamas in 1987. At that time the first intifada against Israel had started in Palestine. Intifada means the rebellion of Palestinians against Israelis. Ismail Haniyeh’s close relationship with Hamas’s religious leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin helped him rise in the organization. Haniyya was arrested several times by Israeli authorities. He spent a lot of time in prison in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Due to his ability to withstand internal and external pressure, political leadership skills, and hardline image, Haniyya became the favorite and chosen face of Hamas during the second intifada (2000-2005).
In 2006, Haniyya proved his leadership to the Middle East when Hamas won the Palestinian elections under his leadership. After this victory, Haniyya became the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority. But during this time he had to face opposition from his rival Fatah party. In 2007, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed his government.
In 2017, Ismail Haniyeh became the political head of Hamas. He sharpened Hamas’ political goals, improved relations with Fatah, and started raising the issue of Palestine loudly on international forums.
Why did Israel enter Tehran and attack?
When Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, the politics of West Asia changed forever. Not only were hundreds of Israelis killed in the Hamas attack, but Hamas also kidnapped about 200 Israelis and took them to their hideout.
For Israel, this attack was an attack on its very concept. These people held captive by Hamas have become Israel’s sore spot. Israel has vowed to take revenge. This is why pictures of Hamas leaders hang in the office of the Israeli Defense Minister.
In recent times, Ismail Haniyeh was the main negotiator on behalf of Hamas in talks with Israel. Despite using harsh language in public forums, Arab diplomats and officials considered him relatively pragmatic compared to the more radical voices inside Gaza.
However, Israel believed that Sunni Ismail Haniyeh was constantly targeting Israel in collaboration with Shia-dominated Iran. In the last few days, Haniya was making frequent visits to Turkey and Iran so that a favorable ‘peace agreement’ could be made with Israel. According to experts, under this deal, Hamas would definitely release Israeli prisoners, but in return, Israel had to release many Palestinians, many of whom were considered terrorists by the Tel Aviv government. Apart from this, Haniyya’s conditions also included increasing international aid for Gaza.
But Israel directly wanted the unconditional release of its prisoners. Accepting any condition of Hamas would harm Israel’s image as a strong state. Experts say that due to this the peace talks were not moving forward. In Israel, pressure was also increasing on President Netanyahu to get the prisoners released. There were continuous protests against him in Israel.
Let us tell you that Israel considers the entire Hamas leadership as terrorists, and has accused Ismail Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders of being involved in terrorist activities. Israel believes that Haniyya and Hamas military chief Yahya Sinwar along with other military commanders had conspired together to attack Israel on 7 October.
Meanwhile, Israel was looking for an opportunity. Haniya had made Qatar his base for the last few days. He was continuously visiting many countries from Qatar. He went to Turkey, visited Egypt, and kept doing diplomacy. But Israel wanted an opportunity when Haniya was in a country that was already its enemy.
It was more convenient for Israel to attack Haniya in an enemy country because in such a situation a new enemy would not have arisen for it. Whereas if Israeli agencies had targeted Haniya in a neutral country, the situation could have worsened. Therefore, when Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh reached Iran for the swearing-in ceremony of the new President, it became easy for Israel to complete its revenge.
The death of Ismail Haniyeh has once again created turmoil in the politics of West Asia. This move of Israel can affect regional stability and tensions can increase even more in the coming days. Hamas has announced to take revenge for Haniya’s death, which is likely to lead to more conflicts in the future.
