– Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran’s capital Tehran at the age of 62
– Haniyeh was born in Gaza in 1962 and was involved in Hamas since his university days
– He faced imprisonment multiple times by Israel for his activism against the occupation
– Haniyeh rose through the ranks of Hamas and led the group to a legislative election victory in 2006
– He briefly served as prime minister of the Palestinian Authority but was dismissed by President Mahmoud Abbas
– Haniyeh was designated a “terrorist” by the US in 2018 and faced travel restrictions and asset freezes
– He was known as a “pragmatist” within the Palestinian movement with open channels to different factions
– Haniyeh’s children and grandchildren were killed in Gaza in 2024, but he vowed to continue fighting for independence and freedom for his people
– He criticized Israel for its actions and vowed to continue the struggle against the occupation.