Although he remains in the shadows, on the fringes of Hamas' public communications, Ali Baraka is considered one of the group's top leaders. It’s no coincidence that the U.S. Department of Justice included him among the six senior Hamas officials indicted for their involvement in the October 7 massacre.
Baraka lives in Lebanon, and in his official capacity, he oversees Hamas' foreign relations. Over the years, he has maintained close, stable ties with members of the so-called Axis of Evil, particularly Iran, quietly and under the radar.
As a reminder, the U.S. Justice Department recently announced criminal charges against six senior Hamas figures: Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, Marwan Issa, Ismail Haniyeh, Khaled Mashal, and Ali Baraka. Three of them have been killed, while three, including Baraka, remain alive. The charges include conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens.
Baraka, who has kept a relatively low profile, was born in Lebanon to a Palestinian family originally from the former village of Saffuriyya, near Nazareth. Early in his career, he was affiliated with Al-Jama'a Al-Islamiyya, during a time when Hamas was not yet active in Lebanon. In an interview with Al-Mashhad, Baraka revealed that he had been arrested by Israel in Lebanon and detained at the Atlit camp. He formally joined Hamas in 1992 and served as the movement’s representative in Tyre, where he lived. That same year, Israel deported over 400 Hamas and Islamic Jihad members to southern Lebanon, and Baraka frequently visited Hamas leaders such as Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh (who visited his brother), Ismail Haniyeh, and others, forging close relationships with them.
Despite his limited media appearances, Baraka has made some harsh statements that position him as one of the more extreme members of Hamas. When the Iron Swords War broke out, Baraka claimed that the group had been planning the attack for two years. He told Reuters that Hamas had long relied on financial aid and training from Iran and other members of the Axis of Evil while building its capabilities in Gaza.
In a statement to Al Jazeera after October 7, Baraka said that Hamas' military leader, Mohammed Deif, had requested support from Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and it was Baraka, as head of Hamas' foreign relations department, who delivered the message. He also revealed that since 2021, Hamas had established a joint operations room with other Palestinian factions.
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Senior Hamas figures included in the indictment
(Photo: AP / Osama Faisa / IDF Spokesperson's Unit )
In the past, Baraka has spoken out against the Palestinian Authority and its president, Mahmoud Abbas, accusing them of "boycotting Hamas and refusing to meet with us." Despite this, Baraka was involved in several attempts to broker a national unity government between Hamas and Fatah. He is also known for his views on Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, despite being a refugee himself. He has stated that "Palestinian refugees in Lebanon have no rights. Lebanon is a host country until the refugees return to their homeland."
Deep ties with Iran
According to the U.S. indictment, "Baraka has made public statements on behalf of Hamas, describing the group's capabilities and intent to carry out deadly attacks on civilians." For instance, in a November 2018 interview with an Iraqi TV station, Baraka claimed responsibility for Hamas' attacks on Israeli civilians in Tel Aviv in 2012 and Haifa in 2014, adding, "We are now capable of striking further than Haifa. The resistance's rockets in Gaza can reach any point in Palestine."
In another interview, Baraka praised Iranian funding, saying, "Iran plays a significant role in supporting the Palestinian resistance. After Operation Protective Edge in 2014, which lasted 51 days, the resistance had exhausted most of its rocket supplies. It was a long war. The Islamic Republic of Iran was the only country that provided financial support to the resistance so that it could produce more rockets and obtain weapons and equipment. Iran compensated the resistance for its losses in the 2014 war. The resistance is now advancing its military industry, using Iranian financial support to purchase raw materials on the black market at great difficulty. These materials are expensive, and Iranian support is the foundation of Gaza's resilience."
According to the indictment, Baraka praised offers of support from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, stating that North Korea "has the capability to strike the U.S."
On December 13, 2023, Baraka was one of eight Hamas leaders sanctioned by the U.S. for "advancing Hamas' agenda by representing its interests abroad and managing its financial affairs." That same day, in coordination with U.S. authorities, the U.K. also imposed restrictions on Baraka, including a travel ban and asset freeze, due to his explicit support for taking hostages. These sanctions were a response to the October 7 surprise attack, aimed at disrupting Hamas' access to foreign funding.
Baraka returned to Lebanon in 1982 during the First Lebanon War. At that time, Israel deported Palestinian terrorists to a large detention center in southern Lebanon known as "Ansar Detention Center." Baraka, then 16, arrived from the Burj al-Shamali refugee camp and later became a Hamas operative in Lebanon. Regarding Gaza, he visited the region in 2012, accompanied by Lebanese MP Bahia Hariri. During his visit, he met with Ismail Haniyeh, then Gaza's prime minister, and visited the family of Hamas commander Ahmed Jabari and other Hamas families.