Khaled Mashal is a co-founder of Hamas and one of its most prominent political leaders, shaping the movement for over three decades.

Early Life and Political Development: After the 1967 Six-Day War, Mashal’s family moved to Kuwait, where he studied physics at Kuwait University and became active in Islamic student groups. He later worked as a physics teacher before devoting himself to political activism.

Leadership in Hamas: Mashal co-founded Hamas in the late 1980s and rose through its ranks, becoming chairman of its Political Bureau in 1996 following the assassinations of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi. He led the movement in exile for over 20 years, balancing armed resistance with political strategy. A 1997 Israeli assassination attempt in Amman dramatically raised his profile and cemented his role in Palestinian politics. After stepping down in 2017, Mashal remained a senior figure, and in 2021 was elected to head Hamas’s diaspora office, expanding international outreach.

Diplomatic Engagements: He has negotiated key ceasefires, including the 2014 and 2021 Gaza truces, and engaged with mediators like Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey to secure humanitarian aid and prisoner exchanges. In 2025, Mashal led talks in Doha for a Gaza ceasefire, advocating for reconstruction and an end to Israel’s blockade amid the ongoing genocide.  During the negotiations, the delegation narrowly survived an assassination attempt when Israel bombed their location in Qatar.

Return to Prominence: Following the assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh (2024) and Yahya Sinwar (2025), Mashal re-emerged as acting leader of Hamas’s political bureau. Mashal remains one of the most visible faces of Hamas’s external leadership, symbolizing its effort to balance resistance, diplomacy, and international legitimacy.