Jamila al-Shanti

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Jamila al-Shanti
جميلة الشنطي
Jamila al-Shanti.webp
Al-Shanti c. 2021
Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
2006
Personal details
BornJamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti
(1955-03-15)15 March 1955
Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Palestine
Died19 October 2023(2023-10-19) (aged 68)
Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine
Cause of death Bombing
Political party Hamas
Spouse
​
​
( assassinated  2004)​
Occupation
  • Faculty member
  • teacher
  • politician
  • activist
Military service
AllegiancePalestine

Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti (Arabic : جميلة عبد الله طه الشنطي‎; 15 March 1955 – 19 October 2023) was a Palestinian politician and senior Hamas official. Married to Hamas co-founder Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, she was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006 and to the Hamas Political Bureau in 2021, the first women elected to that body. She was killed in an Israeli strike during the Gaza war.

Early life

Al-Shanti was born on 15 March 1955 to a Palestinian refugee family in the Jabalia refugee camp. [1] She held a PhD in English. [1] [2]

Career

Al-Shanti was a member of Hamas and was the founder of the group's women's division. [3] On 3 November 2006, she led an unarmed women's march that succeeded in breaking an Israeli siege on a mosque in the town of Beit Hanoun. [4] The Israeli military opened fire on the group, describing them as "human shields", one was killed and ten were wounded. [5]

In the 2006 Palestinian legislative election, she was the third candidate on the Hamas-led "Change and Reform" electoral list. [2] She was the most senior woman among Hamas deputies elected in 2006 and became minister in 2011. [1] [3]

In 2021, al-Shanti was elected as one of 15 members of the Hamas Political Bureau, the group's highest decision-making body. [6] [7] She was the first woman ever to hold such a position in Hamas. [7] [8]

Personal life

Al-Shanti was married to Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi, co-founder of Hamas, who was killed by Israel in 2004. [1] [8] In 2006, she claimed that an Israeli airstrike aimed at her had instead killed her sister-in-law and over a dozen other people. [9] International media confirmed that there had been an airstrike on al-Shanti's home and that it killed Nahla Shanti and Abdel Majid Ghirbawi. [10]

She taught at the Islamic University in Gaza until 2006. [2]

On 19 October 2023, during the Gaza war, al-Shanti was killed in an Israeli airstrike on her home in the Gaza Strip. [4] France 24 listed her as one of the "key figures on Israel's hit list" after the October 7 attack on Israel. [11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Brief profiles of Hamas leading candidates". Albawaba. 27 January 2006. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Candidate profiles Here are some brief profiles of candidates in the Palestinian elections". Al Jazeera English . 24 January 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  3. 1 2 Paola Caridi (20 March 2012). Hamas: From Resistance to Government. Seven Stories Press. p. 88. ISBN   978-1-60980-083-3. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  4. 1 2 "First female member of Hamas' political bureau killed in Gaza". 19 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "Israeli troops open fire on women outside mosque". The Guardian. 3 November 2006. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  6. ↑ "Jamila al-Shanti, 1st Woman In Hamas Politburo, Killed By Israel: Report". www.ndtv.com. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Hamas elects first female to political bureau". Middle East Monitor. 26 March 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Hamas elects first woman to political bureau". Times of Israel . 14 March 2021.
  9. ↑ Jameela al-Shanti (9 November 2006). "We overcame our fear". The Guardian . Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip, Palestine. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  10. ↑ "Six Palestinians killed in Gaza". ABC News (Australia) . 7 November 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  11. ↑ "Who's who: Top Hamas leaders on Israel's radar". 3 November 2023.


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