On March 26, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyya and Islamic Jihad Secretary General Ziyad al-Nahala met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Tehran. Haniyya was born in Gaza in 1963 and graduated from the Islamic University of Gaza in Arabic literature. He joined Hamas in 1987 and served as the head of its government in Gaza after the assassinations of Ahmad Yassin and Abd al-Aziz Rantisi. Haniyya is estimated to have a personal fortune of over $4 billion.
Ziyad al-Nahala was born in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, in 1953 and was arrested several times by Israeli authorities for extremist actions. He was sentenced to life imprisonment as an Arab Liberation Front militant but was released as part of the “Jibril deal” exchange for three Israeli soldiers. After his release, he joined Islamic Jihad and formed its military wing, called the Al-Quds Brigade. He became secretary general of Islamic Jihad on September 28, 2018.
Both leaders were also received by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during their visit to Tehran on March 26. The details of their meeting remain unclear to this point but it’s safe to assume that they discussed matters concerning their respective organizations’ activities in Palestine and other issues related to regional security and stability.
