“He had the ability to embrace all people”… Gaza remembers Haniyeh: A leader’s legacy of resistance

By: Aseel J. Ghaben

On July 31, 2024, the Palestinian calendar marked a significant and unforgettable day, destined to annually remind the people of the assassination of a revered national leader, Dr. Ismail Haniyeh.

History will remember Ismail Haniyeh as a prominent voice opposing the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. Along with 35 family members, Haniyeh joined Gazans in their longstanding struggle against Israeli occupation, which intensified ten months ago.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Haniyeh and his aide, Waseem Abu Shabaan, were killed by an Israeli airstrike on his residence in Tehran, Iran.

Haniyeh’s passing may have a profound impact, potentially breaking the metaphorical dam holding back a defenseless people since 1948.

Haniyeh left behind touchable words that are deemed and viewed as fundamental principles and covenants for the Palestinian people. Both the strong and the weak have come to understand that the Palestinian people “will not recognize Israel” and its existence as an occupying entity on their land, nor should they succumb to settlement compromises. People of Palestine have understood that the high stakes of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque demand great sacrifices as Haniyeh had long believed in.

A Revered Leader

Ismail Haniyeh was arrested by the Israeli army more than once in his life. In 1987, he spent about 18 days in Israeli prisons then re-arrested administratively in 1988 for 6 months. In 1989, he was arrested for the third time, which was the longest one, where he served three years on charges of leading the “security apparatus” of the Hamas movement. On December 17, 1992, after being released from detention, Israel forced Haniyeh to leave the Palestinian territories and deported him to southern Lebanon along with dozens of Hamas leaders for almost a whole year.

“I was deeply saddened by his passing, even though I belong to a different faction. Ultimately, he was a symbol and leader of the Palestinian people who dedicated his entire life to defend the Palestinian cause.”

J. M, a former representative of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention in the early 1990s, and who was in charge of the prisoners’ issues when Ismail Haniyeh was incarcerated in Israeli prisons, expressed his deep sadness over the assassination of such a “conciliatory national figure, Dr. Ismail Haniyeh.”

“I was deeply saddened by his passing, even though I belong to a different faction. Ultimately, he was a symbol and leader of the Palestinian people who dedicated his entire life to defend the Palestinian cause”, said J.M, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of being targeted by Israel.

Recalling their time at prison, J. M said that “Hanyyih was a man of high morals, refined taste, and eloquent speech. He was well-regarded and free of any racial biases.”

Before Haniyeh was imprisoned, there used to be minor issues between Fatah and Hamas prisoners within the same detention camp, but with his wise and moral presence, these issues were resolved, leading to a general reconciliation, according to J.M.

He explained that the long-term reconciliation between the two factions’ groups in prison was compatibly emboldened as Haniyeh called prisoners to join en masse prayer.

“He was truly a humble and moral man who did not differentiate between Fatah and Hamas, and his dealings were very commendable. He used to lead the prisoners during the dawn prayer. No one could hold his tears while praying behind him; his recitation of the Holy Quran was sentimental.”

J. M believed that Haniyeh’s death is a significant blow to the Palestinian cause, and those who belong to other factions have been profoundly affected due to his notable impact on them.

“We have lost a national, iconic, and influential leader of Palestine,” he concluded.

Social and Community Engagement

The day Haniyeh was announced killed in Tehran, Palestinian journalists flooded to his bombed house, that was shelled during Israel’s war, in Al-Shati’ camp and started to recall his traits and cover the sadness that prevailed in the hearts of his neighbours.

Al Jazeera journalist, Ismail Al-Ghoul, who was killed by Israel shortly after the coverage, was saying that Haniyeh, despite the heavy political burdens, was keen to fulfill his social duties by participating in all occasions, happy or sad, birth or death, of his relatives and neighbours in the camp.

In Al-Bureij camp, I met some friends of children of Haniyeh’s nephew, Abdulsalam, and they told me that he used to come every Eid to celebrate the occasion with his nephew’s family and meet with other neighborhood’s children, spreading happiness in their hearts by giving them money as a gift for Eid.

“From the first day he joined the government, he dedicated half of his salary to impoverished families. These families still receive their monthly support.”

“Every Eid, he gives me 50 shekels and they are almost all my Eid,” a child said.

The little children have been profoundly affected and astonished by his death as well as their families, who deemed him a father of all the kids.

According to sources close to him, Haniyeh used to visit mosques in the Gaza Strip during Ramadan and lead the congregational prayers for Taraweeh. He would break his fast for ten days in the homes of widows and orphans, providing them with assistance.

“From the first day he joined the government, he dedicated half of his salary to impoverished families. These families still receive their monthly support,” the source added.

Impactful Speeches and Humility

Suhad Sh, a teacher of Quran, said she had only a one face-to-face meeting with Haniyeh in one of Ramadan days after he led the night prayer at her mosque. He precisely asked to meet the women of the mosque in order to greet them and blaster their resilience, sending valuable messages and gratitude to the mothers of martyrs.

“He often used to kiss the hands of the young Al-Qassam fighters when he visited them at night at the front-line positions.”

For Suhad, Haniyeh’s assassination didn’t fail to shock her all the day along and alluded many of his speeches she was affected by.

“I still remember his beaming face when he came to meet us, and still memorize his touching faithful words about the role of women in Islam and in our Palestinian community,” she said.

A youth who dealt with Haniyeh said that “He often used to kiss the hands of the young Al-Qassam fighters when he visited them at night at the front-line positions.”

Abu Mohammed, a friend of Haniyeh’s relative, said that Haniyeh’s cheerful face, great manners, and ability to embrace everyone and bring people together, was the best prescription for people to love him regardless of their affiliations, ages, and ideas.

“I interacted closely with him during trips, and he was always proactive in serving the youth, even distributing food despite his status. He would sit on the ground with the young people but was the last one to eat, ensuring everyone had food.”

“He never considered himself above anyone. He had a humble and kind nature. He would join us on the field and play football. During football matches, there were wonderful moments, especially when he fell to the ground while playing.”

A Lasting Legacy

When asked about what was Haniyeh’s most affected speech from her perspective, Om Yousef, a doctor at Nasser medical hospital in Khan Younis, recalled the moment she was assigned, in a public ceremony, to work at the hospital, along with other doctors.

“At Gaza’s Rashad Al-Shawa Hall, we lined up to read the medical oath. It was overwhelmingly heartfelt when Haniyeh delivered the oath and we repeated after him; everyone was reading with one heart, that’s the heart of the honest man, Ismail Haniyeh.”

Om Yousef revealed that the way Haniyeh was reading the oath has prompted her for 14 years to spontaneously exert more efforts in her work.

“His cheerful face, his great manners, his ability to embrace everyone—he never spoke ill of anyone.”

“The oath was profoundly impactful that whenever I feel I’m falling short in my work, I recall the oath and adjust my attitude. It was not just a reading from a paper. It was sincerely recited words by him.”

Another Palestinian doctor who preferred to speak anonymously, said that she used to call him uncle Abu Al-Abed referring to the idea that he was so humble and acted closely as one of the people.

“His cheerful face, his great manners, his ability to embrace everyone—he never spoke ill of anyone, even those who dared to challenge him,” she added.

She continued: “If we compare him to other political leaders, just in terms of their statements, many have faced criticism by opposition voices, but Abu Al-Abd never responded with an offensive statement or made speech that might spark tension, unlike others.”

In a raspy voice, another Gazan man, Abu Faisal, who was displaced to a tent in Khan Younis’s Hamad city, confirmed that the Palestinian people do not die regardless of Israel’s trials, since the Nakba, to eradicate them.

He believed that no matter how many great leaders are killed, the idea of resisting occupying Israel and defending the land remains a sacred right that does not perish with the death of the great ones. If it were otherwise, the idea of resistance would have died with the death of the founders Ahmed Yassin and Yasser Arafat.