Hassan Yousef (Hamas leader)
Hassan Yousef (born 1955) is a co-founder of Hamas, an Islamist organization primarily active in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. He currently serves as one of their leaders in the West Bank.
Sheikh Hassan Yousef | |
|---|---|
| Co-founder and Leader of Hamas in the West Bank | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1955 (age 68–69) Ramallah, Jordanian West Bank |
| Political party | Hamas |
| Spouse | Sabba Abu Salem |
| Children | 9 (including Mosab Hassan Yousef) |
| Occupation | Hamas co-founder |
He is considered a member of Hamas' extremist faction and refrains from any talk of rapprochement between Israelis and Palestinians. He is also considered one of the spiritual leaders of Hamas.
Yousef is married to Sabba Abu Salem. They have six sons and three daughters. His eldest son, Mosab Hassan Yousef, worked undercover with Shin Bet from 1997 to 2007 to prevent attacks on Israeli civilians, as he considered such attacks immoral and destructive to the Palestinian cause. He was disowned by his father but is considered a hero by many Americans as well as Israelis.
On 2 July 2019, Hassan's youngest son Suheib Hassan Yousef appeared in an interview with Israeli television criticizing Hamas and describing it as a corrupt terrorist organization which sparked huge anger from members of Hamas describing him as a traitor and a collaborator and other Hamas-affiliated networks said that he was working with the Mossad which he completely denied.