Khalil al-Hayya Elected New Leader of Hamas
Khalil al-Hayya, the former chief negotiator of Hamas, has been elected as the new leader of the Palestinian terrorist organization, succeeding Yahya Sinwar who was killed by Israel in October 2024. The 66-year-old al-Hayya, born in the Gaza Strip, has been based in Qatar for several years and previously served as the highest-ranking Hamas leader abroad. He was a member of the five-member leadership council that led Hamas after Sinwar's death. Al-Hayya prevailed in an internal election against former Hamas leader Khaled Mashal. He maintains good relations with Hezbollah, Qatar, Egypt, Algeria, and Iran. Al-Hayya survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Doha last year, though four of his sons were killed in Israeli attacks. A ceasefire has been in effect since October 2025, but Hamas has consolidated its rule in areas it still controls in Gaza.
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