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Emad al-Alami

(1956-)

Emad al-Alami is a member of the Damascus-based Hamas Political Bureau and a military operations leader.

Emad al-Alami was born in the Gaza Strip in 1956. He holds a Bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Alexandria University, Egypt. Al Alami was arrested by Israel on September 28, 1988, on the charge of organizing and inciting others through Hamas' information committee. One of the charges against him was "performing information activities with the aim to eternalize Hamas' achievements." He was released on September 27, 1990. Israeli authorities deported him to Lebanon in January 1991 with three other Hamas members.

Al-Alami managed to avoid the media spotlight in the 1990's and early 2000's, as he does not participate in press conferences or give interviews, and does not have any social media accounts. Although the circumstances of his wounds remained unclear, during the 2014 Israel-Gaza war al-Alami was treated in Turkey for extensive leg injuries. In November 2016, word circulated that al-Alami had been chosen to succeed Ismail Haniyeh as the top Hamas political leader in the Gaza Strip.


Sources: Issacharoff, Avi. “Shadowy Hamas official with ties to Iran tapped to lead Gaza,” Times of Israel (November 14, 2016);
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