Who's Khaled Meshaal, likely the new chief of Hamas
What's the story
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal is set to succeed Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran in the early hours of Wednesday. Another senior Hamas official, Khalil al-Hayya, who is based in Qatar and has led Hamas negotiators in indirect Gaza truce talks with Israel, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate for the leadership position. Mashaal, however, is believed to be the favorite for the position.
Rise
Meshaal rose to international prominence in 1997
Meshaal rose to international prominence in 1997, when Israeli agents injected him with poison during a botched assassination attempt on a street outside his office in Amman, Jordan in retaliation for a Jerusalem market bombing that killed 16 people. Before the alleged assassination attempt, he served as Hamas's political head in exile, representing the group at international forums. Born in Silwad near Ramallah, Meshaal relocated to Kuwait with his family during his childhood.
Career shift
Meshaal's transition from educator to Hamas advocate
At the age of 15, he joined the Muslim Brotherhood, which played a pivotal role in establishing Hamas during the first Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule in the late 1980s. Meshaal worked as a teacher before dedicating several years to advocating for Hamas from overseas. He was in charge of international fundraising in Jordan when he narrowly escaped Israeli assassination in 1997.
Succession
Leadership transition amidst assassination aftermath
This incident led to the closure of Hamas's office in Amman and the expulsion of Meshaal, who subsequently relocated first to Qatar and later to Syria in 2001. Meshaal led Hamas in exile in Damascus from 2004 to 2012, when he left the Syrian capital. His abrupt departure initially harmed his status within Hamas, as his relationships with Damascus and Tehran, which were critical to the group, gave him power. Meshaal told Reuters that his decision impacted relations with Iran.
Internal politics
Meshaal's attempt at reconciliation and subsequent replacement
During his leadership, Meshaal sought to reconcile with President Mahmoud Abbas, a move that sparked internal tensions within Hamas. This led to his replacement by Gaza deputy Haniyeh in 2017. Despite this shift in leadership, Meshaal remained an active participant within the organization and continued to represent it on the international stage. Meshaal was elected as the chairman of Hamas's Palestinian diaspora office in 2021.