Ihab al-Ghussein | |
---|---|
إيهاب الغصين | |
Deputy Labor Minister of Palestine | |
In office 2020 –7 July 2024 | |
President | Mahmoud Abbas |
Minister of Communications | |
In office 2012–2020 | |
President | Mahmoud Abbas |
Prime Minister | Ismail Haniyeh |
Personal details | |
Born | Kuwait | 12 May 1979
Died | 7 July 2024 45) Gaza City,Gaza Strip, Palestine | (aged
Cause of death | airstrike |
Nationality | Palestinian |
Political party | Hamas |
Children | 1 (deceased) |
Education | Islamic University of Gaza |
Occupation | Politician |
Ihab al-Ghussein (Arabic :إيهابالغصين;12 May 1979 –7 July 2024) was a Palestinian politician who served as the de facto spokesman of the Interior Ministry of the Palestinian Authority based in the Hamas-administered Gaza Strip.
Al-Gussein was born on 12 May 1979. [1]
In 2012,he became the director of the Communications Ministry in the Gaza Strip until 2020,when he was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Labor. [1] [2] He was involved in merging the Executive Force of Hamas into the Palestinian security forces which includes police,national and internal security,civil defense forces and firefighters. [3] Al-Ghussein ordered the release of 150 prisoners who were members of Fatah and other Palestinian factions. [4] During Israel's air strikes against Hamas government buildings in Operation Cast Lead,in which Israel said it killed Hamas operatives launching rockets,al-Ghussein replied that those killed were "Gazans at work,not activists launching rockets as Israel." [5]
On 7 July 2024,during the Israel–Hamas war,an Israeli airstrike on the Holy Family Catholic School in Gaza City killed al-Ghussein and three others,according to reports by Palestinian media. [6] [7] Hamas confirmed his death and said an earlier airstrike on a home killed his wife and daughter. Al-Ghussein was 45. [8]