Ismail Haniyeh was born on January 29, 1963, in the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza. He graduated from the Islamic University of Gaza with a degree in Arabic literature in 1987. Haniyeh became involved with Hamas during the First Intifada in 1987 and rose through the ranks, becoming a close aide to Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. In 2006, he led Hamas to a landslide victory in the Palestinian legislative elections and was appointed Prime Minister. Known for his political and diplomatic skills, Haniyeh was instrumental in Hamas's governance in Gaza. He became the head of Hamas's political bureau in 2017. Haniyeh has survived several assassination attempts and has been a key figure in negotiations with Israel and international diplomacy.
