Hamas Elects Khalil al-Hayya to Lead Political Bureau
The movement's chief Gaza negotiator wins an internal run-off against Khaled Meshaal, becoming the first to hold the post since Yahya Sinwar's death in 2024
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has elected Khalil al-Hayya — who served as the Gaza-based group’s chief negotiator during the war on the territory — as the new head of its political bureau.
Hayya, a former deputy chairman of the movement, won an internal ballot in a run-off against former Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal, the group said in a statement on Monday. Hamas described the election as more than a procedural detail, calling it confirmation that the movement is governed by its institutions and by shura (consultation) and bound by its own rules — and reaffirming its commitment to democratic practice even under the most difficult conditions.
Succeeding Sinwar
Hayya is the first person to hold the position since his predecessor, Yahya Sinwar, was killed in October 2024 while fighting Israeli soldiers who came upon him by chance.
At the time, it was Hayya who announced Sinwar’s death in a televised address, describing the 62-year-old leader as “steadfast, brave and intrepid” and saying he had sacrificed his life for the cause of liberation. Sinwar, he said, had met his end standing and defiant, weapon in hand, firing until his final breath — a fighter from his earliest days who had stood firm behind Israeli bars and, after his release in a prisoner exchange, returned to the struggle. His martyrdom, Hayya said, and that of the leaders before him, would only add to the movement’s strength and resilience.
Sinwar had himself been appointed head of the political bureau in August 2024, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in an Israeli strike on his residence in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Against the backdrop of a fragile truce
Hayya assumes the role amid what Palestinians describe as an “illusion” of a ceasefire, with continued Israeli shelling, incursions, and the blockade of crossings that has allowed only minimal aid into Gaza and deepened the humanitarian crisis.
According to the latest figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli violations of the ceasefire have killed at least 1,127 Palestinians and wounded more than 3,643 others. The agreement was reached after two years of war launched by Israel on 7 October 2023 — an offensive that, continuing in various forms, has killed more than 73,000 people, wounded over 173,000, and destroyed some 90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.
Reference: PressTv