Who is Khalil al-Hayya? Yahya Sinwar's successor and the new head of Hamas

Khalil al-Hayya, a veteran Hamas leader, has been elected as the new head of the Palestinian group’s political office, replacing Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year. Al-Hayya, long considered one of Hamas’s most influential leaders abroad, played a central role in negotiating a truce with Israel and forging the group’s regional alliances.

His promotion comes at a critical time for Hamas, which is trying to restore its leadership after the deaths of several top officials during the Gaza war.

The veteran leader of Hamas

Al-Hayya was born in 1960 in the Gaza Strip and has been part of Hamas since its founding in 1987. He was previously associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement from which Hamas emerged.

Over the decades, he became one of the group’s most prominent political figures, serving in Gaza before relocating to Qatar, home to much of Hamas’s external leadership.

Chief negotiator in the ceasefire talks

Al-Hayya was Hamas’ main negotiator in indirect talks with Israel on a ceasefire and the release of hostages, working with mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

Throughout the Gaza war, which began after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, he was heavily involved in the negotiations. He has also played a key role in previous efforts to broker a ceasefire, including helping to end the conflict in Gaza in 2014.

His experience in diplomacy has made him one of the most internationally visible political leaders of Hamas.

He survived assassination attempts

Israel has repeatedly targeted senior Hamas leaders, and al-Hayya has survived several attacks.

An Israeli attack on his family home in Gaza in 2007 killed several relatives. During later conflicts, he lost several family members, including sons and grandchildren.

In September of last year, he survived an Israeli strike in Doha, Qatar, which targeted the leader of Hamas. One of his sons was reportedly killed in the attack.

Close relations with Iran

Al-Hayya is widely considered to have strong ties to Iran, the main regional backer of Hamas and a key source of military and financial support.

He often represented Hamas in Tehran and accompanied former political chief Ismail Haniyeh during his last visit to Iran before Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli strike in 2024.

He also helped restore Hamas’ relations with Syria in 2022, leading a delegation to Damascus to mend relations with then-President Bashar al-Assad after years of estrangement.

Rise to the leadership of Hamas

Following the deaths of several senior Hamas figures – including Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar – al-Hayya’s influence continued to grow.

After Sinwar’s death, Hamas was temporarily led by a five-member leadership council headed by Mohammed Darwish. The movement has now elected al-Hayya as its new political chief, with Hamas officials saying he won by a landslide, defeating former leader Khaled Meshaal.

The election was held under strict secrecy due to ongoing Israeli operations targeting the political and military leadership of Hamas.

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