Haniyeh’s Family Prepares to Follow Him to Qatar

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh meets with Qatari envoy Mohammed Al-Emadi in Gaza City January 24, 2019. (Reuters)
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh meets with Qatari envoy Mohammed Al-Emadi in Gaza City January 24, 2019. (Reuters)
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Haniyeh’s Family Prepares to Follow Him to Qatar

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh meets with Qatari envoy Mohammed Al-Emadi in Gaza City January 24, 2019. (Reuters)
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh meets with Qatari envoy Mohammed Al-Emadi in Gaza City January 24, 2019. (Reuters)

Arrangements are being made to transfer Amal Haniyeh, wife of the head of the Hamas politburo, Ismail Haniyeh, and some of his children and grandchildren, and even the families of his private guards, from the Gaza Strip to settle down in Qatar, revealed Palestinian sources.

The sources added that they would be transferred to Doha once the Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopens, following a long closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The well-informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Haniyeh family had arranged for the long move to Qatar, where the Hamas leader has settled since the beginning of the year.

Haniyeh’s wife was supposed to join him early last March with two of her children, her son Mohammed and her youngest daughter, but travel restrictions related to COVID-19 delayed their plans.

Haniyeh, who arrived in Qatar in January, decided to stay in Doha for a while. Hamas said at the beginning that he might extend his stay until the end of the year, but as his family is joining him, reports talked about a long-term settlement there.

Haniyeh left the Gaza Strip on December 2 last year, to Cairo, and from there to Turkey, Qatar, Oman, Iran and Malaysia. It was the first time that he had left the coastal enclave, except for short visits to Cairo, since he assumed the leadership of Hamas in May 2017.

Hamas said Haniyeh would remain abroad and would continue to run the movement from Qatar.



Israel Seals off the Occupied West Bank

Palestinians walk by the closed Deir Sharaf checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians walk by the closed Deir Sharaf checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP)
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Israel Seals off the Occupied West Bank

Palestinians walk by the closed Deir Sharaf checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians walk by the closed Deir Sharaf checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP)

Israel closed all checkpoints to the Israeli-occupied West Bank Friday as the country attacked Iran, a military official said Friday.

The move sealed off entry and exit to the territory, meaning that Palestinians could not leave without special coordination.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military recommendations.

Around 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank under Israeli military rule.

With the world’s attention focused on Gaza, Israeli military operations in the West Bank have grown in size, frequency and intensity.

The crackdown has also left tens of thousands unemployed, as they can no longer work the mostly menial jobs in Israel that paid higher wages.

Israel launched a wave of strikes across Iran on Friday that targeted its nuclear program and military sites, killing at least two top military officers and raising the prospect of an all-out war between the two bitter adversaries. It appeared to be the most significant attack Iran has faced since its 1980s war with Iraq.

The strikes came amid simmering tensions over Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program and appeared certain to trigger a reprisal. In its first response, Iran fired more than 100 drones at Israel. Israel said the drones were being intercepted outside its airspace, and it was not immediately clear whether any got through.

Israeli leaders cast the attack as necessary to head off an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs, though it remains unclear how close the country is to achieving that.