Khalil al-Hayya, the veteran Hamas leader who spearheaded the group's indirect ceasefire negotiations with Israel, has been elected as the new chief of Hamas. This decision comes after months of conflict in Gaza and the assassination of several political and military leaders, including his predecessor, Yahya Sinwar.
Al-Hayya was chosen over longtime leader Khaled Meshaal, securing an overwhelming majority in the election. The process was conducted through a highly complex and secretive mechanism due to the ongoing security situation and Israeli assassination attempts. Al-Hayya is expected to formally assume the role next week.
A former official from the Muslim Brotherhood and one of the founders of Hamas, al-Hayya is viewed as a moderate within the organization. He will lead Hamas from Qatar and Turkey, where the movement maintains informal bases and cultivates ties with Arab and Islamic nations.
Al-Hayya is known for his good relations with Lebanon's Hezbollah, as well as with Qatar, Egypt, Algeria, and Iran, Hamas's main financial and military backer. A Hamas official described him as pragmatic and conversative, respected by both the political bureau and military commanders.
Raised in a religious and conservative family in Gaza, al-Hayya studied at the territory's Islamic University before completing a master's degree in Jordan and a doctorate in Islamic law in Sudan. He spent three years in Israeli prisons in the late 1990s and has survived multiple assassination attempts.
The election of al-Hayya marks a significant shift in Hamas's leadership. The political bureau is set to meet in Istanbul to form committees and begin restructuring Hamas's leadership bodies, dissolving the five-member leadership council that has temporarily led the group since Sinwar's death.
