Hamas has elected Khalil al-Hayya as the head of its Political Bureau.
In a written statement, Hamas announced that al-Hayya was chosen to succeed Yahya Sinwar, who was killed during clashes amid Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Sinwar had been appointed head of Hamas’ Political Bureau on August 6, 2024, following the assassination of the group’s previous political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, Iran. The Israeli military later announced that Sinwar was killed on October 17, 2024, during its operations in the Gaza Strip.
Who Is Khalil al-Hayya?
Khalil al-Hayya, the newly elected head of Hamas’ Political Bureau, was born in Gaza in 1960. He completed his undergraduate education in Gaza and earned a doctorate in Prophetic Sunnah and Hadith Studies in 1997.
Al-Hayya joined Hamas during the First Intifada while also working part-time as a teacher in Gaza.
Known as a close associate of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, al-Hayya was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006, representing Gaza.
In Hamas’ internal elections held in 2021, al-Hayya was appointed head of the Office for Relations with the Arab and Islamic World.
One of Hamas’ senior figures and a former deputy to Sinwar, al-Hayya assumed responsibility for Hamas’ Gaza operations in October 2024 following Sinwar’s death.
Al-Hayya has survived multiple alleged Israeli assassination attempts. However, he has lost many members of his family in Israeli strikes carried out on different occasions, including four of his sons and five of his grandchildren.