Ahmed Abdel Khalek, also spelledAhmed Abdelkhaliq (Arabic:أحمد عبد الخالق), is an Egyptian intelligence officer. He is one of theEgyptian General Intelligence Service's most prominent officers dealing with thePalestinian question.
Early in his career, Abdel Khalek served as amilitary attaché at the Egyptian embassy inGaza.[1] Abdel Khalek was a member of the Egyptian security delegation participating in negotiations surrounding theIsraeli disengagement from Gaza in 2006 and subsequentFatah–Hamas conflict. Abdel Khalek also placed a significant role in theGilad Shalit prisoner exchange in 2011, according to Egyptian media.[2]
Abdel Khalek, then amajor general, was appointed as theEgyptian General Intelligence Service's (EGIS) chief of Palestinian affairs in July 2018, one week afterAbbas Kamel's appointment as EGIS Director. The appointment of Khalek to replace Sameh Nabil in the role came after Nabil failed to successfully achieve reconciliation between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.[3] According to Palestinian news agencyDonia al-Watan, Abdel Khalek was EGIS's most prominent figure regarding the Palestinian question and was considered the founder of the agency's Palestinian file.[4]
After a flare-up of violence between Palestinian factions such asHamas,Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Israel in October 2018, Abdel Khalek led a delegation to the Gaza Strip to broker a truce.[1] According to theMa'an News Agency, Abdel Khalek convinced Palestinian armed factions to ceasefiring rockets into Israel.[5]
He made his first official visit beginning on November 15, 2018, attending a funeral for slain Hamas fighters from theIzz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. At the event, Abdel Khalek greeted Hamas's political and military leaders, includingYahya Sinwar.Al-Monitor described Abdel Khalek's brief appearance at a Hamas as an unprecedented gesture by an Egyptian official.[6]
Abdel Khalek conductedshuttle diplomacy between Hamas and Israel to broker negotiations on a proposed prisoner swap in December 2020, which would have been the first such exchange since the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange in 2011.[7]
After tensions between Hamas and Egypt rose following Hamas leaderIsmail Haniyeh's visit to Iran for the funeral ofQuds Force chiefQasem Soleimani, Abdel Khalek led an EGIS delegation to the Gaza Strip in February 2020, the first visit in 5 months.[8]
Abdel Khalek gained international attention during theGaza war for changing the terms of anMay 2024 ceasefire proposal, adding new demands for Hamas after Israel had signed. Reports indicated he gave Hamas and Israel different versions of the agreement.[9][10]
