The 2006 Palestinian elections were pivotal for Hamas. With Khaled Mashal in exile, Haniyeh led the "Change and Reform" bloc to a parliamentary victory, and President Mahmoud Abbas appointed him Prime Minister. However, following armed conflicts between Hamas and Fatah, Abbas removed Haniyeh from his position in 2007.
Haniyeh served as Hamas' leader in the Gaza Strip for many years before Yahya Sinwar succeeded him in 2017. On May 6, 2017, Haniyeh was elected head of Hamas' Political Bureau, replacing Khaled Mashal. The U.S. State Department listed him as a terrorist on January 31, 2018, amid heightened tensions between Washington and Palestinians due to President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
During Israel's brutal attacks on Gaza, which began on October 7, Haniyeh's home on Gaza City's western coast was bombed. On November 10, 2023, his grandson was martyred in an Israeli bombardment targeting a school for the displaced in Gaza City.
On April 1, 2024, Israeli police arrested one of Haniyeh's sisters on charges of communicating with Hamas members.
On April 10, 2024, Israeli forces assassinated Haniyeh's sons and grandchildren, targeting their cars during Ramadan. Haniyeh lost his sons Hazem, Amir, and Mohammed, and his four grandchildren in the attack while he was visiting injured Palestinians in Doha, Qatar.
Demonstrating immense patience, Haniyeh declared that his children sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
"All of our people, all families in Gaza have suffered great loss, and I am one of them," he said.
