Who is Khalil al-Hayya? Hamas names veteran leader as overall chief

Hamas on Monday appointed senior political leader Khalil al-Hayya as its overall leader, ending a two-year period during which the Palestinian group was led by a five-member leadership council following the death of Yahya Sinwar.

The appointment places one of Hamas's senior political figures at the head of the organisation as the conflict in the Gaza Strip continues. Al-Hayya has been a key figure in the group's political and diplomatic activities, including ceasefire negotiations with Israel and engagement

with regional allies.

Hamas announced the decision in a statement. Al-Hayya succeeds Sinwar, who was killed during fighting with Israeli forces in 2024. Since then, the group had been governed collectively by a five-member leadership council, of which al-Hayya was a member.

Al-Hayya has assumed a more prominent role within Hamas following the deaths of Sinwar and former political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran in July 2024.

Long-time Hamas official

Born in the Gaza Strip in 1960, al-Hayya joined the Muslim Brotherhood in the early 1980s before becoming a founding member of Hamas when it was established in 1987.

Over the years, he rose through the organisation's ranks and worked closely with former leaders Haniyeh and Sinwar.

Al-Hayya played a role in ceasefire negotiations that ended the 2014 Gaza conflict and has been involved in subsequent mediation efforts related to the ongoing war in Gaza. He has also represented Hamas in its relations with Arab and Islamic countries and is regarded as maintaining close ties with Iran, one of the group's principal backers.

According to Reuters, al-Hayya was among senior Hamas officials targeted in an Israeli strike in Doha in 2025, citing Israeli officials.

His appointment formalises a leadership role he had increasingly assumed over the past two years as Hamas sought to manage its political, military and diplomatic affairs amid the continuing conflict with Israel.