Khaled Mashal
| Khaled Mashal link (Politician) | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Born | 28 May 1956 |
Acting leader of Hamas since October 2024 | |
Khaled Mashal (alternative spelling Meshaal) is a Palestinian politician who was the second chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau from 1996 until May 2017, when he was succeeded by Ismail Haniyeh.[1] He has been the acting leader of Hamas twice, from July 2024 until August 2024 and since October 2024, after both leaders were assassinated by Israel. He is regarded as one of the most prominent leaders of Hamas since the death of Ahmed Yassin, alongside Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar.
Background
Mashal was born in Silwad in 1956. Israel's occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip during the 1967 Six-Day War forced Mashal's family to flee Palestine. He has since lived in exile in other parts of the Arab world. For that reason, he was considered part of Hamas' "external leadership".
Politburo chief
After the founding of Hamas in the wake of the First Intifada against the Israeli occupation in 1987, Mashal became the leader of the Kuwaiti branch of the organisation. In 1992, he became a founding member of Hamas' politburo and its chairman. He became the recognised head of Hamas after Israel assassinated both Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and his successor Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi in the spring of 2004. Under his leadership, Hamas secured a surprise majority of the seats in the Palestinian legislative election in 2006. Mashal stepped down as Hamas' politburo chairman at the end of his term limit in 2017.
2014 interview
BBC HARDtalk is in Doha with Hamas Leader, Khaled Meshaal. The Palestinian Islamist movement is locked in conflict with Israel. Is the showdown in Gaza a battle for Hamas's survival?[2]
References
Wikipedia is not affiliated with Wikispooks. Original page source here