Meshal is a founding member of Hamas. His decades-long career in the terrorist organization has taken him from Kuwait to Jordan (where he survived an Israeli assassination attempt), to Syria (where he became head of the group’s politburo), and finally to Qatar, where Meshal emerged as the group’s chief envoy.

A cease-fire and hostage release deal doesn’t look that much more likely in the wake of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death.

His rise was the culmination of decades of planning and outmanoeuvring of opponents, turning a movement into the Sinwar show. In prison in Israel, this violent and calculating man became more systematic in his thinking,