Osama Mazini

{{Short description|Palestinian political leader (1966–2023)}}

{{pp-extended|small=yes}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Osama Mazini

| native_name = {{nobold|أسامة مزيني}}

| native_name_lang = ar

| image = Osama Mazini (1966–2023).jpg

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date text|1966}}

| birth_place = Gaza City, Egyptian-occupied Gaza Strip

| death_date = {{Death date and given age|2023|10|16|57|df=y}}

| death_place = Gaza Strip, Palestine

| occupation = politician

| party = Hamas

| office = Education Minister of the Gaza Strip

| term_start = 2007

| term_end = 2014

| primeminister = Ismail Haniyeh

}}

{{Campaignbox Gaza war}}

Osama Mazini ({{langx|ar|أسامة مزيني}}; 1966 – 16 October 2023) was a Palestinian senior political leader of the Palestinian political and military organization Hamas.[https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-01-01-israel-palestinians-thursday_N.htm Airstrikes rock Gaza as truce remains elusive] USA Today.

Mazini was in charge of negotiation affairs dealing with captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.[http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=13069 Hamas leader: mediation has ended with no deal in the case of the Israeli soldier] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725131918/http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=13069 |date=25 July 2011 }} Ma'an News Agency. 11 December 2006.

In a 2006 sermon, he criticized Pope Benedict XVI over the latter's remarks on Islam, saying that the pontiff was "ignorant and stupid", "criminal and arrogant", and "a cruel man, spilling blood, who strove to kill".{{cite news |last1=Marcus |first1=Itamar |last2=Crook |first2=Barbara |title=Hamas: Pope is Nazi, arrogant, stupid and criminal; Allah will punish Pope in due time |url=http://pmw.org.il:80/bulletins_sept2006.htm |work=Palestinian Media Watch |date=25 September 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220211613/http://pmw.org.il:80/bulletins_sept2006.htm |archive-date=20 February 2009 }}{{cite news |title=The Nazi Pope |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2006/09/the-nazi-pope/233298/ |work=The Atlantic |date=25 September 2006 |access-date=16 October 2023 |archive-date=3 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603155158/https://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2006/09/the-nazi-pope/233298/ |url-status=live }}

During Israel's airstrikes in the Gaza Strip during the Gaza War in December 2008, Mazini warned Israel about sending in ground forces, stating "the people of Gaza are waiting to see the Zionist enemy in Gaza to tear them into pieces of flesh."Barzak, Ibrahim. [http://www.wtop.com/?nid=105&pid=0&sid=1479197&page=2 Israel demands monitors as part of a Gaza truce] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611223042/http://www.wtop.com/?nid=105&pid=0&sid=1479197&page=2 |date=11 June 2011 }} Associated Press. 31 December 2008.

Mazini was killed in an airstrike conducted by the Israeli Air Force on 16 October 2023 during the Gaza war. He was 57.{{cite news |title=Hamas Hostage Negotiator Killed, Israel Says |url=https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians/card/hamas-hostage-negotiator-killed-israel-says-bvPAqt90sBTIXUSQ4Y3H |work=The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) |access-date=16 October 2023 |archive-date=16 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016224639/https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians/card/hamas-hostage-negotiator-killed-israel-says-bvPAqt90sBTIXUSQ4Y3H |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Top Hamas official who handled Shalit file eliminated |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/378626 |work=Arutz Sheva |access-date=16 October 2023 |archive-date=17 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231017201312/https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/378626 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Halabi |first1=Einav |title=Member of Hamas political bureau, Osama al-Mazini, killed |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syyjvmo11t |work=Ynetnews |date=16 October 2023 |access-date=16 October 2023 |archive-date=17 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231017152028/https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syyjvmo11t |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=IDF says it killed former senior Hamas official who was in charge of Gilad Shalit prisoner file |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-it-killed-former-senior-hamas-official-who-was-in-charge-of-gilad-shalit-prisoner-file/ |work=Times of Israel |access-date=16 October 2023 |archive-date=16 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016222738/https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-it-killed-former-senior-hamas-official-who-was-in-charge-of-gilad-shalit-prisoner-file/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=IDF assassinates Hamas leader linked to Gilad Shalit prisoner swap |url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-768719 |work=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |date=17 October 2023 |access-date=16 October 2023 |archive-date=16 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016221036/https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-768719 |url-status=live }}