Hamas has named Khalil al-Hayya as its overall leader, nearly two years after the death of Yahya Sinwar, elevating one of the group's most senior political figures and chief negotiators to its top post. The appointment was announced in a statement by Hamas on Monday, Reuters reported.
Al-Hayya replaces Sinwar, who was killed during fighting with Israeli forces in Gaza in October 2024 amid the war triggered by Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
According to Al Jazeera, al-Hayya secured the leadership after winning an internal run-off against former Hamas political chief Khaled Meshaal, making him the first person formally appointed to the role since Sinwar's death.
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Who Is Khalil al-Hayya?
Born in the Gaza Strip in 1960, al-Hayya joined the Muslim Brotherhood in the early 1980s before becoming a founding member of Hamas when the Palestinian group was established in 1987, according to media reports.
He earned a bachelor's degree from the Islamic University of Gaza, a master's degree in Hadith from the University of Jordan and later completed a PhD at the University of the Holy Quran and Islamic Sciences. Before rising through Hamas' ranks, he worked part-time as a teacher. Over the years, al-Hayya became one of Hamas' most influential political leaders, working closely with former chiefs Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar.
Hamas' Chief Negotiator
Al-Hayya has long been the face of Hamas in indirect negotiations with Israel, representing the group in multiple ceasefire and hostage talks, including efforts to end the 2014 Gaza conflict and negotiations during the ongoing Gaza war, Al Jazeera reported.
Following the deaths of Haniyeh and Sinwar in 2024, Reuters said al-Hayya emerged as one of the group's most powerful figures. Serving as Hamas' exiled Gaza chief, he has led its diplomatic outreach and is regarded as the movement's principal representative to the Arab and Islamic world.
Reuters also reported that Israeli officials identified al-Hayya among senior Hamas leaders targeted in an Israeli strike in Doha in 2025.
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Based in Qatar
According to The Jerusalem Post, al-Hayya relocated from Gaza to Qatar several years ago, where he has overseen Hamas' regional political engagement. The newspaper said he accompanied Haniyeh on his visit to Tehran in July 2024, during which Haniyeh was killed.
The report added that al-Hayya has described Hamas' October 7 attack as initially intended to capture Israeli soldiers for a prisoner exchange, saying the operation expanded after what he called the collapse of Israeli military positions. He has also argued that the attack brought renewed international attention to the Palestinian issue.
His appointment comes as Hamas continues to face sustained Israeli military operations in Gaza while efforts by regional mediators to secure a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement remain ongoing.
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