Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.
Khaled Mashal
Khaled Mashal خالد مشعل | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mashal in 2009 | |
| 2nd Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau | |
Acting | |
| Assumed office 16 October 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Yahya Sinwar |
| Succeeded by | TBA |
| Acting 31 July 2024 – 6 August 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Ismail Haniyeh |
| Succeeded by | Yahya Sinwar |
| In office 1996 – 6 May 2017 | |
| Deputy |
|
| Preceded by | Mousa Abu Marzook |
| Succeeded by | Ismail Haniyeh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 May 1956[1] Silwad, Jordanian West Bank[1] |
| Political party | Hamas |
| Spouse |
Amal Saleh Al-Boureni
(m. 1980) |
| Children | 7 |
| Residence(s) | Silwad, West Bank (1956–1967)[2] Kuwait City, Kuwait (1967–1990) Amman, Jordan (1990–1999) Doha, Qatar (1999–2001) Damascus, Syria (2001–2012) Doha, Qatar (2012–present) |
| Alma mater | Kuwait University (BSc) |
| Palestinian nationalism Factions and leaders | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Map: Birthplaces or family origins Details below: p. parents from, b. born in, d. death. |
||
| ||
.svg) |
|---|
|
Officeholders whose status is disputed are shown in italics |
|
Map shows birthplaces or family origins
|
 Member state of the Arab League |
 Palestine portal |
Khaled Mashal (Arabic: خالد مشعل, romanized: Khālid Mashʿal, Levantine Arabic: [ˈχæːled ˈmeʃʕæl]; born 28 May 1956) is a Palestinian politician who served as the second chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau from 1996 until May 2017, when he was succeeded by Ismail Haniyeh. He has also covered duties as the acting leader of Hamas twice, from July 2024 until August 2024 and since October 2024, after both leaders were assassinated by Israel.[3] He was regarded as one of the most prominent leaders of Hamas since the death of Ahmed Yassin, alongside Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar.[4]
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".
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 organization.[5] In 1992, he became a founding member of Hamas' politburo[6] and its chairman.[7] He became the recognized head of Hamas after Israel assassinated both Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and his successor Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi in the spring of 2004.[7][8] 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.[9][10]
- ^ a b Charbel 2003.
- ^ Rabbani 2008a, p. 61.
- ^ "Who's next? Speculation swirls on who will take over Hamas from slain Sinwar". The Times of Israel. 18 October 2024.
- ^ Alshawabkeh, Lina. "Hamas: Who are the group's most prominent leaders?". BBC News. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ BBC February 2006.
- ^ Rabbani 2008b, p. 60.
- ^ a b Rabbani 2008a, p. 59.
- ^ Tesch & Lotha 2020.
- ^ Haaretz 2017.
- ^ MEMO 2018.
Previous Page Next Page
