Osama Hamdan

Palestinian diplomat

Osama Hamdan

Osama Hamdan in Beirut, 2009

Hamas Representative in Lebanon
In office
1998–2009[1]
Succeeded by| Ali Baraka
Hamas Representative in Tehran
In office
1993–1998[1]
Personal details
Born| 1965 (age 58-59)
Bureij refugee camp, Gaza Strip
Nationality| Palestinian
Political party| Hamas

Hamas biographies

Yassin \+ Haniyeh

Rantisi

Mashal

Sinwar \+ Issa

Deif

Deif

Mabhouh

Khan Yunis

Beit Hanoun

Jabalia

Map: Birthplaces and family origins.

Abbreviations

p. parents from
b. born in
d. death

Leaders

Party leader

* Ahmed Yassin

b. Al-Jura, d. 2004

* Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi

b. Yibna, d. 2004

* Ismail Haniyeh

p. Al-Jura, b. Al-Shati, d. 2024

* Khaled Mashal

b. Silwad

Leader in Gaza

* Yahya Sinwar

p. Al‑Majal, b. Khan Yunis

Deputy Leader

* Saleh al-Arouri

Military wing leader

* Mohammed Deif

p. Kawkaba (near Kokhav Michael) and Al‑Qubayba, b. Khan Yunis
d. Failed attempt in 2014
Possible death in 2024

Politicians and officials

Male politicians

* Basem Naim

b. Beit Hanoun
Head of International relations
Previously: Health Minister

* Aziz Dweik

* Ali Baraka

* Mousa Abu Marzook

Female politicians

* Jamila al-Shanti

b. Jabalia, m. Widow of Rantisi, d. 2023
Minister for Women's Affairs

Government officials in Gaza

* Faiq Al-Mabhouh

p. Bayt Tima, b. Jabalia, d. 2024
Police and crisis management

* Ashraf al-Qidra

Health Ministry spokesperson

Officials in Lebanon

* Osama Hamdan

Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades

* Mohammed Deif

p. Kawkaba (near Kokhav Michael) and Al‑Qubayba, b. Khan Yunis
d. failed attempt in 2014
d. unconfirmed in 2024

* Marwan Issa

p. Ashkelon
b. Bureij refugee camp

Alleged Al Qassam militants

* Ahmed Jabari
* Lehi Street bomber
* Mahmoud Rushdi Ishtiwi [ar]
* Muhammad Abu Shamala [ar]
* Raed al Atar

Alleged "Nukhba"

* Ali Al Qadi

Other biography pages

* Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh

p. Bayt Tima b. Jabalia d. 2010

* Ismail Abu Shanab
* Imad Abbas
* Imad al-Alami
* Salah al-Bardawil
* Wissam Farhat
* Essam al-Da'alis
* Abu Omar Hassan
* Sheikh Abu Salah Taha
* Hassan Yousef
* Mahmoud al-Zahar
* Mohammad Taha

* v
* t
* e

Osama Hamdan (Arabic: أسامة حمدان; born 1965) is a former senior representative of Hamas in Lebanon and Tehran. He previously held the position of Head of International Relations Department for Hamas.[1][2][3]

## Early life

[edit]

Hamdan was born in the Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian refugee family that fled the village of al-Batani al-Sharqi during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. He attended high school in Kuwait, graduating in 1982. He then enrolled at the Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry in 1986. While he was at university, Hamdan became an activist with the Islamic Student Movement. He returned to Kuwait after graduating and worked in the industrial sector until the Gulf War in 1990.[4]

## Hamas representative

[edit]

After leaving Kuwait, Hamdan worked at the Hamas office in Tehran as assistant to then Hamas representative Imad al-Alami from 1992 to 1993. He became Hamas' official representative in Iran in 1994, serving in that post until 1998.[4] While undertaking this post, Hamdan said that the "flourishing relations" between Iran and Hamas were at the expense of the once-good relationship between Iran and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). However, he stated "There is an absence of any proof or evidence of Iranian financial support to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian factions who have established contacts with Iran. It is merely rumours and speculation."[5]

In 1998, Hamdan was appointed as Hamas representative in Lebanon, a post he retains. In 2004, he served as Hamas' spokesman in Cairo during a dialogue between Palestinian factions. He has also participated in talks between Hamas and European officials.[4] Hamdan has advocated Palestinian unity talks and in an interview with Al-Arabiya on May 20, 2009, he said "I understand that each of us [Hamas and Fatah] must set conditions to reach an agreement. National dialogue must be based on national interests of the Palestinian people..."[6]

In an interview which aired on Al-Jadid/New TV on May 4, 2011 as translated by MEMRI, Hamdan stated that "politically, the two-state solution is over" and that "we are entering the phase of the liberation of Palestine... the notion of Return: the return of the refugees to their homeland, and the return of the Israelis to the countries from which they came."[7]

During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war Hamadan acted as a media representative for Hamas, appearing from Lebanon across multiple platforms and channels internationally for interview and comment across various issues.[8][9]

## Controversies

[edit]

In a 2007 interview which aired on the Tehran-based Arabic-language Al-Kawthar TV channel, Hamadan stated that suicide bombings against Israel were justified, especially bombing buses.[10]

In a 2014 interview which aired on the Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds TV channel as translated by MEMRI, Hamdan stated that "killing children...is engraved in the historical Zionist and Jewish mentality." Commenting on the accusation of blood libel against Jews, Hamdan stated "we all remember how the Jews used to slaughter Christians, in order to mix their blood in their holy matzos. This is not a figment of imagination or something taken from a film. It is a fact, acknowledged by their own books and by historical evidence."[11][better source needed]

In a subsequent interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Hamdan defended his comments, stating that he was responding to comments made by Moshe Feiglin in the Israeli Knesset in which he called for the "complete destruction of the Palestinians in Gaza". Hamdan asserted that the organisation MEMRI had edited and 'cut' his words in a selective manner taking them out of context, going on to remark that "we are not against Jews, we are against the Israeli occupation".[12]

In 2018, he stated that even if a ceasefire were reached between Israel and Hamas, Hamas would still seek Israel's destruction.[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Osama Hamdan". Al Jazeera Forum. 2015-04-23. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
2. ^ a b "Hamas official says terror group will continue to arm even if truce reached". The Times of Israel. 27 August 2018.
3. ^ "Israel says hostage swap with Hamas won't begin before Friday". www.aa.com.tr. Archived from the original on 2023-11-29. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
4. ^ a b c Palestinian Personalities - H Archived 1999-01-28 at the Wayback Machine Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs.
5. ^ Chehab, Zaki (2007). Inside Hamas: the untold story of militants, martyrs and spies. London: I.B. Tauris. p. 142\. ISBN 978-1-84511-389-6.
6. ^ "Hamas urges coexistence under Palestinian rule". Archived from the original on 2023-11-29.
7. ^ Osama Hamdan, Head of the Hamas Foreign Liaisons: Armed Confrontation Will Continue to Be "the Backbone of the Resistance", the Israelis Must Return to Their Countries of Origin Al-Jadid/New TV (Lebanon), Clip No. 2949 (video), MEMRITV.org, May 4, 2011.
8. ^ "'They have to admit they bombed the hospital', says Hamas spokesman". Channel 4 News. 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
9. ^ "Israeli minister supports 'voluntary migration' of Palestinians in Gaza". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
10. ^ "Osama Hamdan, the Hamas representative in Lebanon, told Iranian television that suicide bombing attacks against Israel were justified, especially attacks in buses". Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. 22 August 2007.
11. ^ Top Hamas Official Osama Hamdan: Jews Use Blood for Passover Matzos, MEMRITV, Clip No. 4384 (transcript), July 28, 2014. (video clip available here Archived 2014-08-02 at the Wayback Machine)
12. ^ Moss, Candida; Baden, Joel (2014-08-12) [August 6, 2014]. "Blood libel: the myth that fuels anti-Semitism – CNN Belief Blog". CNN. Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2023-11-29.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Chehab, Zaki (2007). Inside Hamas: the untold story of militants, martyrs and spies. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 9781845113896.

## External links

[edit]

* Osama Hamdan on Charlie Rose
* Column archive at The Guardian
* Osama Hamdan collected news and commentary at Al Jazeera English

* v
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Hamas

History|

* Hamas Charter (revised)
* Emblem
* Flag
* Fatah–Hamas conflict
* Takeover of the Gaza Strip
* 25th anniversary of Hamas (2012)

Political wing|

* Islamic Salvation Party
* Khaled Mashal
* Ismail Haniyeh
* Yahya Sinwar
* Basem Naim
* Ali Baraka
* Mousa Abu Marzook
* Zaher Jabarin
* Hamas government in the Gaza Strip

| Elections|

* 2005 presidential
* 2006 legislative

|

Military wing|

* Palestinian Joint Operations Room
* Al-Qassam Brigades
* Nukbha
* al-Aqsa Flood Vanguards unit

| People|

* Leader: Mohammed Deif
* Spokesperson: Abu Obaida
* Marwan Issa
* Yahya Ayash
* Adnan al-Ghoul
* Salah Shehade
* Wa'el Nassar
* Ahmed Jabari
* Imad Abbas
* Imad Akel
* Nidal Fat'hi Rabah Farahat
* Yunis al-Astal
* Ahmed Ghandour

|

Operations|

* Murder of Yaron and Efrat Ungar
* Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing
* 2001 Immanuel bus attack
* 2004 Ashdod Port bombings
* IDF outpost bombing
* 2006 Gaza cross-border raid
* Gaza War (2008–2009)
* August 2010 West Bank shooting attack
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* 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
* 2023 attack on Israel
* Israel–Hamas war

|

Weapons|

* Al-Bana
* Batar
* Qassam rocket
* Yasin (RPG)

|

Social services|

* Islamic University of Gaza
* Mujama al-Islamiya
* Palestinian Authority Martyrs Fund

Media|

* Al-Aqsa TV
* Tomorrow's Pioneers
* Al-Aqsa Voice Radio
* Al-Quds TV
* Shehab News Agency
* Al-Watan (defunct)

Foreign relations|

* Support from (Iran
* Israel
* Qatar
* Turkey)
* Russia
* Lebanon

Related articles|

* Criticism of Hamas
* Hamas war crimes
* Capital punishment in the Gaza Strip
* Hamas most wanted playing cards

Category:Hamas

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Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Participants

| Israelis|

* Israel Defense Forces
* Israel Police
* Mossad
* Shabak (Shin Bet)

|

Palestinians|

| Principals|

* All-Palestine Protectorate
* Palestine Liberation Organization
* Fatah
* Hamas
* Palestinian Authority

|

Other groups|

* al-Aqsa Brigades
* Children
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* Jenin Brigades
* Lions' Den
* PIJ
* PLF
* PPSF
* PFLP
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Third-party groups|

* Arab League
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Individuals

| Israelis|

* Moshe Arens
* Ami Ayalon
* Ehud Barak
* David Ben-Gurion
* Naftali Bennett
* Menachem Begin
* Meir Dagan
* Moshe Dayan
* Avi Dichter
* Yuval Diskin
* Benny Gantz
* Efraim Halevy
* Dan Halutz
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* Golda Meir
* Shaul Mofaz
* Yitzhak Mordechai
* Benjamin Netanyahu
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* Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
* Yitzhak Shamir
* Ariel Sharon
* Shabtai Shavit
* Moshe Ya'alon
* Danny Yatom
* Zvi Zamir

|

Palestinians|

* Abu Abbas
* Mahmoud Abbas
* Moussa Arafat
* Yasser Arafat
* Yahya Ayyash
* Marwan Barghouti
* Mohammed Dahlan
* Mohammed Deif
* George Habash
* Wadie Haddad
* Ismail Haniyeh
* Nayef Hawatmeh
* Amin al-Husayni
* Ghazi Jabali
* Ahmed Jibril
* Abu Jihad
* Salah Khalaf
* Leila Khaled
* Sheikh Khalil
* Khaled Mashal
* Zuheir Mohsen
* Abu Ali Mustafa
* Abu Nidal
* Izz ad-Din al-Qassam
* Jibril Rajoub
* Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi
* Ali Hassan Salameh
* Salah Shehade
* Ramadan Shalah
* Fathi Shaqaqi
* Ahlam Tamimi
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* Timeline
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| Background|

| 1920–1948|

* 1920
* Nebi Musa riots
* Battle of Tel Hai
* 1921 Jaffa riots
* 1929 Palestine riots
* Hebron massacre
* 1936–1939 Arab revolt
* 1944–1947 Jewish insurgency
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|

| 1948–1970|

* 1948 Arab–Israeli War
* massacres
* 1948–present Fedayeen insurgency
* 1951–1967 Attacks against Israeli civilians
* 1950s–1960s Reprisal operations
* 1953 Qibya massacre
* 1956 Kafr Qasim / Khan Yunis / Rafah massacres
* 1967 Six-Day War
* 1967–1970 War of Attrition
* 1968 Battle of Karameh

|

Palestinian
insurgency

| 1968–1982|

* 1970 Avivim school bus bombing
* 1972 Sabena Flight 571 / Munich massacre / "Bayonet" (1973 Lillehammer affair)
* 1974 Kiryat Shmona massacre / Ma'alot massacre
* 1975 Savoy Hotel attack
* 1976 Entebbe raid
* 1978 Coastal Road massacre / South Lebanon conflict
* 1980 Misgav Am hostage crisis

|

| 1973–1987|

* 1973 Yom Kippur War
* 1975 Zion Square bombing
* 1982 Lebanon War
* Siege of Beirut
* 1983 1983 West Bank fainting epidemic
* 1984 Bus 300 affair
* 1985 Achille Lauro hijacking / "Wooden Leg"
* 1987 Night of the Gliders

|

First Intifada|

| 1987–1991|

* 1988 Tunis raid
* 1989 Bus 405 attack
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* list
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|

Second Intifada|

| 2000–2005|

* Palestinian rocket attacks
* lists
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* list
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* 2001 Santorini
* 2002 Karine A / "Defensive Shield" / Battle of Jenin / Battle of Nablus / "Determined Path"
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|

Palestinian dissident
campaigns

| 2006–present|

* 2006 "Bringing Home the Goods"
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Gaza–Israel
conflict

| 2006–present|

* 2006 Gaza beach explosion / Gaza cross-border raid / "Summer Rains" / "Autumn Clouds" / Beit Hanoun shelling
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* 2010 Gaza flotilla raid
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* 2022 "Breaking Dawn"
* 2023 "Shield and Arrow" / Israel–Hamas war

|

Diplomacy/law

| Timeline|

| 1948–1991|

* 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight
* depopulated towns and villages
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* settler violence
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1990s|

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2000s|

* 2000 Camp David Summit / Clinton Parameters
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* 2003 Road Map
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* 2006 Valley of Peace initiative
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* 2009 Aftonbladet Israel controversy

2010s|

* 2010–11 Israeli–Palestinian peace talks
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United Nations|

* Israel and the UN
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Africa|

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Americas|

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Asia|

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Europe|

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Oceania|

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Former|

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Disputes|

* Israeli–Palestinian conflict
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Multilateral relations|

* Arab League
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* United Nations (Security Council resolutions)

Related topics|

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates
* Diplomatic missions of / in Palestine
* Recognition of statehood
* Legal status
* Palestine 194
* Foreign relations of Hamas

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