Hamas has announced the appointment of Khalil al-Hayya as the group’s new leader. He succeeds Yahya Sinwar and previously served as the head of Hamas’s political office abroad and the group’s chief negotiator in ceasefire talks.
In a statement released on Monday, Hamas said that al-Hayya will now assume leadership of the group. He is currently based in Qatar and is regarded as one of the most prominent figures in Hamas’s political leadership.
Israeli officials told Reuters that al-Hayya was the target of an Israeli strike in Doha in 2025 but survived the attack.
Political analysts believe that al-Hayya’s appointment could harden Hamas’s position on calls for disarmament, as he is widely viewed as more hardline than the group’s other leadership contender, Khaled Meshaal.
Al-Hayya emerged as one of the most influential figures in Hamas’s leadership following the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in July 2024 and Yahya Sinwar in October of the same year.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
