Ismail Haniya

Ismail Haniya is the head if the Palestinian Hamas movement and the fifth Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority. He rose to the top of Hamas after the Israeli assassinations of Ahmed Yassin and Abdel-Aziz Rantisi during the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2002. He was nominated for Prime Minister after Hamas' victory in the Palestinian legislative election on January 25, 2006.

In the face of internal confilct and Western economic and political pressure, the Hamas government was dismissed by President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007 and Salam Fayyad was appointed to replace Haniya. The appointment was not approved and deemed illegal by the Palestinian Legislative Council, so Haniyah is still the "official" Prime Minister and continues to exercise authority in the Gaza Strip.

• Topix.net: Ismail Haniya Search

• Haaretz: Israeli Airforce Strikes Haniya Headquarters (March 2, 2008)

• Middle East Times: Hamas Arrests Suspect in 'Plot' to Kill Haniya (February 20, 2008)

• PNN English: Who Will Assasinate Haniya... (February 19, 2008)

• Ynetnews: Haniya Goes into Hiding (February 11, 2008)