The Palestinian militant group Hamas announced on Monday that it has elected senior member Khalil al-Hayya as the new head of its political bureau. This leadership transition follows the death of Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in October 2024.
Al-Hayya has long been considered one of the organization’s most influential figures. After Sinwar’s death, al-Hayya assumed leadership of the movement within Gaza, having previously served as Sinwar’s deputy. His prominence within the group's hierarchy increased significantly following a series of Israeli targeted assassinations against top leadership, including former political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh and deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri. These events positioned him as the primary candidate to lead the movement's political and organizational operations. Prior to this appointment, he had led Hamas' Office of Arab and Islamic Relations following internal elections held in 2021.
Born in 1960, al-Hayya holds a doctorate in the Sunnah of the Prophet and Hadith Sciences, which he earned from the Holy Quran University in Sudan in 1997. His political career includes his 2006 election to the Palestinian Legislative Council as a representative for Gaza City.
Al-Hayya has experienced personal losses during the ongoing conflict. His son Hamza, a field commander in the Qassam Brigades, was killed during clashes with Israeli forces in eastern Gaza City in 2008. Additionally, on May 20, 2007, an Israeli attempt to assassinate al-Hayya resulted in the deaths of eight of his relatives, including several brothers and their sons, when their family gathering place in eastern Gaza City was bombed. Further family members have been killed during the current conflict in Gaza, where official figures indicate that more than 73,000 people have been killed and over 173,000 injured since October 2023.
