Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas' international face, was marked for death by Israel over the Oct. 7 attack

BEIRUT (AP) — Ismail Haniyeh was the international face of Hamas, its top leader in exile who kept up the militant group’s ties with allies around the region. At the head of its political hierarchy, he had little military role – but Israel marked him for death after the surprise Oct. 7 attacks.

The 62-year-old Haniyeh was killed in an airstrike Wednesday during a visit to one of Hamas’ most crucial allies, Iran, after attending the inauguration of its new president. Iran and Hamas both accused Israel, which has not commented on the strike.

The assassination would make him the highest-level Hamas official killed by Israel since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks, when militants killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. The Israel-Hamas war that followed has become the deadliest and longest in the Arab-Israeli conflict. More than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to health officials in Gaza.

Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, had been in self-imposed exile from Gaza since 2019 and was often seen as a relative moderate in the group. He was one of the few Hamas leaders who said the group, while it rejects recognizing Israel, doesn't oppose a two-state solution. Based in Qatar and often moving around the region, he didn’t have a direct hand in the group’s military wing, known as the Qassam Brigades, but often coordinated between it and political branches.

It is not known what he knew about the military wing’s plan to break out of tightly closed Gaza and attack surrounding communities in southern Israel. The plan was masterminded inside Gaza, likely by Hamas’ leader on the ground Yahya Sinwar and the head of the military wing Mohammed Deif. A Hamas official told the AP only a handful of its commanders on the ground knew about the “zero hour.”

But after the carnage caught Israeli military and intelligence by surprise, Haniyeh embraced the attack, praising it as a humiliating blow to Israel’s aura of invincibility. Within hours, he appeared in a video leading prayers with other Hamas officials thanking God for the attack’s success.

“The Al-Aqsa flood was an earthquake that struck the heart of the Zionist entity and has made major changes at the world level,” Haniyeh said in a speech in Iran during the funeral of late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in May. “Al-Aqsa flood” was Hamas' code name for the Oct. 7 attack.

“We will continue the resistance against this enemy until we liberate our land, all our land,” Haniyeh said.

Michael Milshtein, a Hamas expert at Tel Aviv University, said Haniyeh had a commanding role in the group’s foreign policy and diplomacy, but was less involved in military affairs.

“He was responsible for propaganda, for diplomatic relations, but he was not very powerful,” said Milshtein, a former military intelligence officer. “From time to time, Sinwar even laughed and joked: ‘He’s the more moderate, sophisticated leader, but he doesn’t understand anything about warfare.’”

Still, Israel pledged to kill all of Hamas’ leaders after the attacks, and Haniyeh was high on its list.

Haniyeh was also under the eye of the International Criminal Court, whose chief prosecutor sought arrest warrants against him, Sinwar and Deif for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Similar requests were issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Since 2018, the U.S. had designated Haniyeh as a terrorist, saying he was closely linked to Hamas' military wing.

The threats did not prevent Haniyeh from traveling. He visited Turkey and Iran throughout the war. From Doha, he participated in the negotiations meant to bring about a cease-fire and free the hostages.

Israel’s retaliation cost him his closest relatives. Strikes in April and last month killed three of his sons, four of his grandchildren and one of his sisters. Haniyeh said Israel was acting in “the spirit of revenge and murder.”

Haniyeh was born in Gaza’s urban Shati refugee camp to parents who were forced out of the town of Majdal – now the city of Ashkelon in Israel – during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation. Five years after his birth, Israel captured Gaza in the 1967 war, and he grew up under its occupation of the strip.

He joined Hamas when it was founded in 1987 as the “Intifada,” or first major mass Palestinian uprising against Israel’s rule, erupted. He served as an aide to Ahmad Yassin, the group’s founder, as the group broke from other groups and began conducting armed attacks on Israeli troops in the occupied territories.

Haniyeh was detained by Israeli troops in 1989 for Hamas membership and spent three years in prison. In 1992, he was deported to Lebanon with a group of top Hamas officials and founders. He later returned to the Gaza Strip following the 1993 interim peace accords, which were signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

That year, Hamas turned to a campaign of suicide bombings against civilians in Israel aimed at thwarting the accords — which now have been stagnant for years.

After Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections in the following year, and Haniyeh was named prime minister in the Palestinian government. Deeply religious and versed in Arabic literature from his university studies, he was known for his flowery rhetoric in his speeches.

But frictions between Hamas and Fatah, the main faction behind the Palestinian Authority, quickly erupted into fighting. Hamas drove the PA out of Gaza and seized power there in 2007 causing a split that has endured since.

While the PA ruled in enclaves of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Haniyeh became prime minister in Gaza. That made him the lead man in Hamas's first effort at governing, as it clamped down control. Conditions and poverty worsened under an Israel-Egyptian blockade.

Eventually, he was named Hamas’ top political leader, replacing Khaled Mashaal in 2017, and soon after went into exile.

Hani Masri, a veteran Palestinian analyst who met Haniyeh several times, said Haniyeh’s personality was a natural fit for his political role in Doha. He described him as sociable and well-spoken.

Still, some Palestinians in Gaza resented Haniyeh’s distance from their woes inside the beleaguered territory. Israel often seized on that, portraying him and other Hamas leaders as living in luxury in Doha hotels while Palestinians suffer.

Iranian media on Wednesday quoted a past speech by Haniyeh in which he said the Palestinian cause has “costs.”

“We are ready for these costs: martyrdom for the sake of Palestine, and for the sake of God Almighty, and for the sake of the dignity of this nation.”

Associated Press writers Jack Jeffery in Ramallah, West Bank and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

This article corrects Haniyeh’s age when he died. He was 62.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, center, sits prior to the start of the swearing-in ceremony of newly-elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the Iranian parliament, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, center, arrives at the Iranian parliament to attend the swearing-in ceremony of newly-elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh claps as newly-elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks while deputy leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Sheikh Naim Kassem, left, sits during the swearing-in ceremony of Pezeshkian at the Iranian parliament, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

FILE - Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh speaks during a press briefing after his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Tehran, Iran, March 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

Palestinian Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, center, flashes a victory sign as he is surrounded by a group of Iranian lawmakers after the conclusion of the swearing-in ceremony of newly-elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the parliament in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, shakes hands with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh at the start of their meeting at the President's office in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh arrives at the Iranian parliament to attend the swearing-in ceremony of newly-elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, meets Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, at the President's office in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

FILE - Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, speaks to journalists after his meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon, June 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Two years ago, food cart worker Fathima Shiyama had to wait in line, sometimes for days, to get cooking gas, fuel and other essentials. It was a test of patience for her and millions of other Sri Lankans as their country languished in economic and political chaos.

Since then, under President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the South Asian island nation's economy has begun a fragile recovery. As the country gears up for a crucial presidential vote, key economic indicators have improved and there are no shortages of food and fuel. Inflation is almost under control after peaking at 70%.

Sri Lankans who usually vote along religious and ethnic lines will be keeping the state of the economy in mind when they vote Saturday on a new president. Many are still struggling, borrowing money or leaving the country to cope with rising living costs and limited opportunities.

Shiyama says she isn’t still earning enough to cover her monthly expenses and pay for her ailing daughter’s medical tests. In desperation, she has turned to borrowing from loan sharks at an exorbitant 20% interest rate.

“We are trying our best to survive despite many difficulties,” said the 48-year-old mother of five, as she was selling “string hopper” noodles and coconut “pittu,” popular traditional dinner items, from a cart on the outskirts of Colombo.

As Sri Lanka sank into economic collapse in 2022, a popular uprising led its then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country.

This weekend's election pits his successor, Wickremesinghe, against opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Anura Dissanayake, leader of a Marxist-led coalition that has been gaining popularity. Poll results are due Sunday.

All the candidates have promised to lead Sri Lanka into a prosperous future by developing new industries, improving agriculture, broadening the tax base to increase revenue and creating tens of thousands of new jobs.

Under Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka has been negotiating with the international creditors to restructure the country's staggering debt and get the economy back on track. The International Monetary Fund approved a four-year bailout program last year, but many Sri Lankans are unhappy over the government’s efforts to increase revenue by raising electricity rates and imposing heavy taxes on professionals and businesses, to meet IMF conditions for its assistance.

Overall conditions have improved after the long dry spell during and after the pandemic. Vital tourism earnings have risen and the Sri Lankan rupee has recovered. But rising prices due to the government's austerity measures are squeezing many households.

“We are in a very critical time” said Murtaza Jafferjee, an economic analyst and chairman of Advocata Institute, a Colombo-based independent policy think tank.

"The economy is looking up,” he said, but has not fully recovered. The government should aim for at least 4% growth this year, instead of its target of 3%. Politicians need to focus on policies that don't just benefit the country's elite, Jafferjee said.

“It is high time that we run this country for the benefit of the 22 million people,” he said.

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis began well before the upheavals of 2022.

Staggering economic mismanagement by successive governments was compounded by poor policy choices and then the pandemic. Rajapaksa pushed through big tax cuts in 2019. Then, he banned imports of chemical fertilizer to preserve Sri Lanka’s scarce foreign reserves, hurting crop yields in a a country largely dependent on agriculture.

With the war in Ukraine, food and fuel prices surged and fuel, cooking gas, medicine and food ran short. Sri Lankans lined up for government rice handouts and charity meals.

Today, inflation has dropped below 5% and there's no need to line up to buy essentials. But key parts of the economy remain in crisis.

Jagath Dissanayake said conditions remain dire for his construction firm in Gampaha, a town located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Colombo after prices of building materials tripled. Most of Dissanayake projects are suspended and he had to lay off two-thirds of his employees.

“People have no money to do new construction as they give priority to buying essentials. We hardly get any new work," Dissanayake said.

His income is down almost 75%, he said, so there is no more dining out and Dissanayake rides a motorbike instead of driving a car, to save money on fuel.

“Of course, there are no queues for petrol anymore, but we don't have enough money to buy it.” he said.

Sri Lanka’s construction industry has shed about 400,000 jobs in the last four years, according to some estimates. Once a booming industry that contributed nearly 12% to the country’s growth figures, its share has dropped to 7% this year.

Many Sri Lankans have sought jobs abroad.

Viraj Maduranga, formerly a teacher in a government school, went to Dubai in 2021 to find work when he became unable to repay loans he had taken to build his house and buy a vehicle.

“Either I had to sell off the house and the car, or find an alternative income. So, I decided to leave. It was not an easy decision for me and my wife, but we have to make sacrifices to build our lives,” said Maduranga, who now works as a teacher in Dubai and won’t be able to vote in the election.

Not everyone is impressed with the promises made by the candidates in this election.

“We have seen it in the past, politicians saying various things, but when they come into power they have simply ignored what they have said during campaigns,” said W.A. Wijewardena, an economic analyst and former deputy governor of Sri Lanka's central bank.

Jafferjee, the economic analyst, said the election is “extremely crucial” for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery. The next president should use his executive powers to “enact pro-consumer policies" and be more open to trade.

“This (crisis) is not insurmountable, but you need to make unpopular choices. What you need basically is a president who looks to grow the pie," said Jafferjee.

In the meantime, Sri Lankans like Maduranga are impatiently waiting for change.

He longs to rejoin his wife and 8-year-old son in Sri Lanka, but still needs to repay his loans.

“This is not the best time to go back," Maduranga said. “I want to live in Sri Lanka as a free man without being indebted to anyone.”

Saaliq reported from New Delhi.

Indian tourists pose for a photograph on a beach in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

FILE - Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe waves to supporters as he arrives to address a public election rally in Minuwangoda, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, File)

Members of a construction crew take a break from work at the Colombo port, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A woman buys fruits from a stall at a local wholesale market, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Workers pull a hand cart loaded with sacks of vegetables through a wholesale market in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A man sells plastic bags on a street in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Election posters showing portraits of National People's Power's presidential candidate Anura Dissanayake, are pasted on the kitchen walls of an eatery where a cook prepares food for customers in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Jagath Dissanayake, owner of a private construction firm, supervises work at a building site in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A man sits next to election posters of opposition leader Sajith Premadasa as he gets a shave from a roadside barber in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A couple walks past an election poster showing a portrait of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Fathima Shiyama, 48, waits for customers next to her food cart in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Fathima Shiyama, 48, prepares local delicacies at home, to be sold later from her food cart, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Fathima Shiyama, 48, who sells food on a mobile cart to support her five children, speaks to the Associated Press at her residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A bird flies past gantry cranes working at the Colombo port, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)