Hamas elects Khalil al-Hayya as new leader by 35-34 vote

The election of new Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya was a close call. He triumphs over more pragmatic voices in the radical Islamist Palestinian group.

Publication date: 2026-07-22, 5:41 PM

Khalil al-Hayya in 2024. Photo: Khalil Hamra/AP/dpa

By Felix Wellisch

The decision on the new Hamas leader is said to have been extremely close: with only 35 to 34 votes, Gaza-born Khalil al-Hayya prevailed, reported the Qatari broadcaster "Al Arabi" earlier this week. Observers see the election of the 65-year-old as a directional decision against more pragmatic voices within the radical Islamist Palestinian group, which is classified as a terrorist organization by numerous states.

After the Israeli army killed al-Hayya's predecessor Yahya Sinwar in southern Gaza nearly two years ago, a close confidant of the mastermind behind the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, now takes over the leadership. Regarding the massacres, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 abducted, al-Hayya told the New York Times: "We succeeded in putting the Palestine issue back into focus." Since then, Israel has destroyed much of the Gaza Strip, killed at least 73,000 people, and compressed the approximately two million residents into 30 to 40 percent of the territory. The new Hamas chief has lived in exile for several years, mainly in Qatar.

Nevertheless, the broad-shouldered al-Hayya, who usually appears publicly in a suit and shirt, has good connections on the ground. He was born in Gaza City in 1960 and studied Islamic studies and Islamic law in Gaza, Jordan, and Sudan. In 1987, he joined Hamas as a founding member.

Credibility for al-Hayya

Al-Hayya also enjoys credibility within the organization and among parts of the population in the Gaza Strip because he has survived numerous Israeli assassination attempts and has lost a total of 17 relatives.

• In 2006, he was elected as a deputy to the Palestinian parliament.
• In 2007, the Israeli military killed two of his brothers and five other relatives in his parents' home.
• In 2008, his son Hamza died in a drone strike.
• In 2014, his eldest son Osama died along with his family.

Al-Hayya continued nonetheless. As deputy head of Hamas in Gaza, he repeatedly played an important role in the organization's contacts with Arab and Islamic states. In the Gaza wars with Israel in 2012 and 2014, he played a key role as a negotiator. Last year, an Israeli airstrike in Doha, Qatar, missed him but killed another son, Humam.

In the election of the Shura Council, al-Hayya prevailed against Khaled Mashal. The long-time head of the Hamas politburo from the West Bank is considered more pragmatic.

Nevertheless, al-Hayya could prove to be a good channel of communication with the US government. During the negotiations, al-Hayya and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff met in Egypt. According to Witkoff, they exchanged stories about their deceased sons. Witkoff's son died of a drug overdose in 2011. Additionally, al-Hayya has good contacts in Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, where the organization is very active economically.

Hardly any expected ideological change

Currently, the implementation of US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan for the Gaza Strip is stalled. Hamas rejects its disarmament, Israel bombs the area almost daily and steadily expands its control.

Ideologically, however, little change is to be expected with al-Hayya. He is close to the Qassam Brigades – the armed wing of Hamas in the Gaza Strip – and is likely to maintain the armed struggle and strengthen ties with Iran.

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