Haniyeh

Haniyeh is an Arabic surname and given name. The spelling may vary in English transliteration (for example Haniyeh, Hanieh, or Haniyyah). It is used by people in Arab communities, particularly in Palestine and the Gaza Strip, and can function as both a family name and a personal name.

The most widely known bearer of the name is Ismail Haniyeh, a Palestinian politician and senior leader of Hamas. Born in 1963, he rose to international prominence after Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 and formed the government of the Palestinian Authority. Haniyeh served as prime minister of the Hamas-led government, and after the 2007 split between Gaza and the West Bank, he remained a leading figure for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Since around 2017, he has been the head of Hamas’s political bureau, a position that focuses on strategic direction and external diplomacy. In recent years, he has lived in exile in various countries and has traveled widely to engage in regional diplomacy and mediation efforts.

The name Haniyeh is associated with Palestinian political life due to Ismail Haniyeh’s public profile, as well as with broader Arabic naming traditions. In some countries, Hamas and its leadership are designated as terrorist organizations by government authorities, which shapes how public discussions about the name and its bearer are conducted.

See also: Hamas, Palestinian Authority, Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, Palestinian politics.