[1] He hailed from a Sunni Muslim family based in Iqlim al-Kharrub, Mount Lebanon.
[4] Following his graduation Ismail worked at the Ministry of Education as an inspector and was the deputy director general between 1956 and 1959.
Then he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held various diplomatic posts, including counsellor in Madrid from 1960 to 1963.
Then he served as consul general of Lebanon in Italy between 1964 and 1967, in Sudan and Ethiopia between February 1967 and 1969 and in Saudi Arabia between 1969 and 1971.
[7] Ismail was twice recipient of the Lebanese Order of Cedar (Knight and Commander).