Khalid Meshal

Head of Hamas Political Bureau Abroad

Khaled Meshal is the current head of Hamas politburo abroad and former Hamas chief. He is a married father of three daughters and four sons and was born in the West Bank town of Silwad near Ramallah in 1956. He is one of the founders of the Hamas branch abroad.

His father, Abdel Rahim, took part, along with the students of Sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam and Abdel Qader al-Husseini, in the fight against the British Mandate for Palestine and in the 1936–1939 Arab Revolt in Palestine.

In 1990, Meshal moved along with his family to Kuwait, where he lived until the outbreak of the 1990 Gulf Crisis. He received his preliminary education in his hometown, Silwad, but completed his secondary education in Kuwait.

Meshal graduated with a BSc in Physics from Kuwait University in 1978. As a high school student, Meshal was inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood, encouraging him to join the Hamas movement in 1971.

Meshal was appointed as head of the Palestinian Islamic bloc at Kuwait University. In 1977, he helped establish the Al-Haq Islamic bloc, which later became known as the Islamic League of Palestinian Students.

Having worked as a physics teacher in Kuwait until 1984, Meshal dedicated his life to serving the Palestinian cause and founding pro-Palestine committees and organizations, which prepared the ground for establishing Hamas later.

After the 1990 Gulf Crisis, Meshal left Kuwait for Jordan, where he stayed until he was banished in 1999.

A member of the Hamas politburo since its inception, Meshal served as the Hamas chief from 1996 to May 2017.

On 25 September 1997, Meshal survived an assassination attempt at the hands of Israeli Mossad agents in the Jordanian capital of Amman. Bowing to pressure from King Hussain of Jordan, the Israeli occupation government had to deliver an antidote to the toxin used to assassinate Meshal and free Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, who was sentenced to life in prison, in return for the Mossad agents' release.

About two years later, the Jordanian authorities detained Meshal, along with a number of Hamas officials, after shutting down the movement's offices in the country.

On 21 November 1999, Meshal, along with Hamas officials Ibrahim Ghousha, Sami Khater, and Ezzat al-Risheq, was banished to the Qatari capital of Doha where he had stayed until early 2001. 

He then moved to Syria where he had lived for around 11 years, during which he continued serving as the Hamas chief. During his stay in Syria, Meshal continued to play a significant role in unifying the Palestinian national action and exerting efforts in coordination with various Palestinian factions and national and Islamic figures to serve the Palestinian cause and people at home and abroad. 

In 2007, Meshal was awarded an ijazah, which roughly translates to license, which certifies that a person has reached a level of understanding in a specific field of Islamic studies. Three years later, Meshal managed to memorize the holy Quran. 

In January 2012, Meshal left Damascus to Doha, where he is currently staying.

Meshal has played a pivotal role in building and enhancing Hamas' ties with Arab, Muslim, and international governments, organizations, and associations and in shaping the movement's political approach while remaining committed to the Palestinian national rights and constants.