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Portrait of Khaled Mashal

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Khaled Mashal

Palestinian politician and former Hamas political bureau chief

Born
28 May 1956
Born in
Silwad, West Bank, Palestine
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Why Khaled is here

Played a pivotal role in leading Hamas and Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation.

Their story

Khaled Mashal was born in Silwad, near Ramallah, in 1956. After the 1967 war his family settled in Kuwait, where he studied physics and became active in Palestinian student politics.

Mashal chaired the Hamas political bureau from 1996 to 2017. He survived an Israeli poisoning attempt in Amman in 1997 and later led the movement’s diaspora office. A May 2026 European Union record lists him as a member of Hamas’s political bureau and Temporary Leadership Committee. Reuters reported that Khalil al-Hayya became the movement’s overall leader in July 2026.

Milestones

The moments that shaped Khaled’s path.

  1. Born in Silwad and fled to Kuwait after the 1967 occupation: Mashal’s early life was marked by displacement due to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

  2. Joined the Muslim Brotherhood during university in Kuwait

    His political activism began at Kuwait University, where he studied physics and became involved in Palestinian student movements.

  3. 1996–2017

    Chaired Hamas’s political bureau.

  4. 1997

    Survived an assassination attempt by Mossad in Jordan (1997): Israeli agents attempted to poison Mashal, but he survived after intervention from King Hussein of Jordan, which led to international attention and political gains for Hamas.

  5. 2021

    Elected to lead Hamas's diaspora office in 2021

    After stepping down from the political bureau, Mashal was elected to lead the office responsible for Palestinian refugees and exiles.

Legacy

What they built, changed and left behind.

  1. Led Hamas during key conflicts with the Israeli occupation

    Under Mashal's leadership, Hamas expanded its influence and coordinated significant military and political resistance against Israeli occupation, including during the Gaza blockade.

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  2. Built international support for Palestinian resistance

    Mashal was instrumental in securing financial and political backing for Hamas from allies in the Middle East, including Iran and Syria, as well as the broader Muslim world.

  3. Maintained armed resistance against Israeli occupation

    Mashal consistently advocated for armed struggle as a key component of the Palestinian resistance, rejecting compromise or concessions that undermined Palestinian rights.

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  4. Strengthened Hamas’s social welfare programs

    Under his leadership, Hamas expanded its social services in Gaza, supporting the Palestinian population through health, education, and other essential services amidst the Israeli siege.

  5. Survived and politicized the 1997 assassination attempt

    Mashal turned the failed assassination into a political victory, securing the release of Hamas's spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, in exchange for the Mossad agents captured in Jordan.

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Watch & listen

Khaled in interviews, talks and coverage.

  • 01Led Hamas during key conflicts with the Israeli occupation↗

  • 02Maintained armed resistance against Israeli occupation↗

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