Khalil al-Hayya: Who is the political veteran chosen to steer Hamas forward

Hamas has elected Khalil al-Hayya as the new head of its political bureau, placing one of the movement’s most experienced negotiators at the centre of its leadership during a period where Gaza is still facing Israeli genocide and the region faces a renewed war.

The movement announced the result on Monday after an internal ballot of the leadership in which Hayya secured 35 votes, narrowly defeating Khaled Meshaal, the head of Hamas abroad and a former political bureau chief, who received 34, according to Al Jazeera Arabic Palestine bureau chief, Walid Al Omari.

The vote completed a leadership process that began in May after Hamas failed to settle the contest in its first round.

Hayya, who is based in Qatar, succeeds Yahya Sinwar, who took charge after Israel assassinated Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July 2024. Israeli forces killed Sinwar during fighting in Rafah three months later.

In the months that followed, Hamas relied on a five-member interim council led by Mohammed Darwish, the head of its Shura Council, to manage its political affairs and oversee negotiations.

Hayya’s election now restores a single figure to the top post and underlines the movement’s ability to reorganise despite Israel’s sustained campaign to assassinate its senior leadership.

In an effort to scupper ceasefire talks, Israel attempted to assassinate Hayya along with the rest of the Palestinian negotiating team in Qatar in September of 2025. 

The attack drew international condemnation, with critics describing it as “gangster behaviour”.

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