The three sons of the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, who were killed Wednesday in the Shati camp in the northern Gaza Strip, were military operatives of the terrorist organization and, according to the IDF, were on their way to carry out terrorist activities in central Gaza at the time of the airstrike. The three - Hazem, Amir and Mohammad – were on their way to a Eid al-Fitr holiday dinner, it was reported in Gaza.
The 3 killed brothers were involved in the real estate industry in Gaza and, unlike their older brothers, had a more "humble" image, with Hamas media outlets claiming that Amir Haniyeh even lived in displaced persons camp. Israel says they were terrorist operatives in the military wing of Hamas, and one of them even held Israeli hostages – while another was a squad leader.
Haniyeh had 13 children, the most prominent of which are the two oldest, Moaz and his brother Abdel Salam, who were often documented spending time in prestigious hotels in Istanbul and Doha. Moaz is particularly known for his flamboyant lifestyle, as evidenced by the jewelry he purchased in stores in the Gaza Strip and Qatar. The two were recorded on Instagram in hotels in Istanbul and Doha. A
An article about one of the boys was published in the Saudi newspaper Ilaa about a year and a half ago, titled: "Moaz Haniyeh - a life of extravagance, alcohol and women." His brother, Abdel, Salam was denounced after it was discovered that he transferred funds to his account as part of his role as the sports ambassador in the Shura Council of Hamas.
Purchase documents and receipts for jewelry that the two bought, which were seized in December, were subjected to intelligence extraction by the AMSHT unit (collection of loot and technical documents) of the Intelligence Division. According to the IDF, the amount of money shown on one receipt is equivalent to almost two years' salary for the average Gazan resident.
Contrary to the traditional and conservative Islamic agenda that Haniyeh is trying to market to the world, his sons are considered drinkers and party-goers, who usually party in fancy clubs accompanied by women. When they are not celebrating, Moaz and his brothers control the real estate industry in Gaza - which is undergoing a "transformation" these days under the auspices of the war. Three of the Haniyeh's houses, according to reports, have been bombed by the IDF during the last few weeks. According to knowledgeable sources, the Haniyeh brothers also have electric generators with which they sold electricity to the residents of Gaza, while they received it for free.
Besides them, Haniyeh has three other sons - Hammam, Wisam and A’ayed, and five daughters – Sana'a, Bothayna, Khawleh, Latife and Sarah, all of whom live in the Gaza Strip.
3 View gallery
Ismail Haniyeh
(Photo: Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS ,Dalati Nohra/Lebanese Official Government via AP)
The Hamas leader also has three sisters who live in Israel: Kholidia, Laila and Sabah. Sabah got married at the age of 14 and helped her husband take care of his children as if they were her own. Today she is fighting cancer and receiving medical treatments. Her family members say that she has not spoken to her brother for many years. At the beginning of the month, she was arrested in an operation named "Early Dawn," on suspicion of having contact with Hamas operatives and identifying with the terrorist organization, while carrying out acts of incitement and support for acts of terrorism in Israel.
According to the suspicion, since October 7, the nurse published posts on social networks that included incitement against the state. Through the networks, she even established contact with Israelis and with elements in Gaza, some of whom, according to the police's assessment, are terrorist operatives. The Israelis who were in contact with her are also expected to be questioned. In addition, following the discovery of stashes of silver and gold, the tax authorities joined the investigation.
In 2015, Sabah Haniyeh was convicted of illegally entering the Gaza Strip after she and her sister, Laila, visited without permission. The court sentenced them to eight months of probation and a fine of 20,000 shekels.
The moment that Ismail Haniyeh finds out that three on his sons have been killed
Ismail Haniyeh married his cousin, Amal Haniyeh, when she was 16. She did not complete her education, unlike her husband. Haniyeh also has two brothers. One of them, Abdel Khalek, was killed on October 17. According to the head of the political bureau of Hamas, 60 members of his extended family were eliminated by Israel.