Salah al-Bardawil

Salah al-Bardawil
صلاح البردويل
Anniversary of Hamas (2012).
Al-Bardawil standing top left
Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council
for Khan Yunis Governorate
In office
18 February 2006 – 23 March 2025
Personal details
Born(1959-08-24)24 August 1959
Died23 March 2025(2025-03-23) (aged 65)
Khan Yunis, Palestine
PartyHamas
Alma materCairo University
Institute of Arab Research and Studies
Occupation
  • Politician
  • spokesperson

Salah al-Bardawil (Arabic: صلاح البردويل ‎, 24 August 1959 – 23 March 2025) was a Palestinian politician, a senior member of Hamas' political bureau and a spokesperson for the organization until 2025. He also served as a member at the Palestinian Legislative Council for Khan Yunis Governorate from 2006 to 2025.[1][2]

Al-Bardawil was born in refugee camp in Khan Younis, and joined Hamas in 1987.[3][4] In 1993 he was detained by Israel.

Al-Bardawil was often quoted in Western media as a source for the views and pronouncements of Hamas. In March 2018, he told Quds News Network that Hamas was prepared to enter into dialogue with the United States.[5] This statement angered the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Fatah, who believed Hamas wanted to be seen as the main representative of Palestinians.[6] Al-Bardawil had previously stated in 2017 that Palestinian reconciliation efforts were failing due to U.S. pressure.[7]

Following the decision by the United States to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and the killings of Palestinian protesters that followed in May 2018, al-Bardawil was quoted by numerous sources as stating that 50 out of 62 people killed by IDF soldiers had been Hamas members.[8][9][10] This followed a statement from Israeli forces that 50 out of the 62 Palestinians killed during protests on the Gaza border were activists, and a statement from Islamic Jihad that three of the 62 deaths were members of its military wing.[11]

As part of the Gaza war, Al-Bardawil and his wife were killed in an Israeli drone airstrike on his tent west of Khan Yunis on 22 March 2025. He was 65.[12][13]

References

  1. ↑ "Copy of Copy of Copy of The final distribution of PLC seats (3).xls" (PDF).
  2. ↑ "Abbas dissolves PA parliament, calls for elections in 6 months". Xinhua. 23 December 2018.
  3. ↑ Halabi, Einav (23 March 2025). "Senior Hamas official killed in his tent in Khan Younis". Ynetnews. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  4. ↑ "Hamas says Israeli strike kills political bureau official Salah Al-Bardawil". Arab News PK. 23 March 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  5. ↑ "لماذا حماس مستعدة للحوار مع واشنطن؟". شبكة قدس الإخبارية (in Arabic). 20 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  6. ↑ null (29 March 2018). "Hamas says it's open to dialogue with US". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  7. ↑ "Hamas official claims reconciliation failing due to US pressure". Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  8. ↑ "Hamas official: 50 of the 62 Gazans killed in border violence were our members". Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  9. ↑ Harpin, Lee (16 May 2018). "Hamas: Majority of Gaza border deaths were our members". www.thejc.com. The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  10. ↑ "Hamas Political Bureau Member Salah Al-Bardawil: 50 of the Martyrs Killed in Gaza were from Hamas, 12 Regular People". MEMRI. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  11. ↑ Khoury, Jack (16 May 2018). "50 of Dead in Gaza Protests Were Hamas Activists, Says Senior Hamas Official". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  12. ↑ "Hamas confirms death of political leader in Israeli strike in Southern Gaza". Khaleej Times. AFP. 23 March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  13. ↑ Alouf, Rushdi Abu (23 March 2025). "Air strike kills senior Hamas official in Gaza". BBC. Retrieved 23 March 2025.