Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official with reported ties to Iran, has been appointed the overall leader of the Palestinian militant group. Al-Hayya, based in Doha, Qatar, becomes the de facto head of Hamas following the deaths of other prominent leaders.
Al-Hayya, 64, has been a pivotal figure in mediating ceasefire talks throughout the Gaza conflict, which escalated after Hamas's October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. He participated in U.S.-brokered negotiations that led to a temporary ceasefire in October 2025, though intermittent fighting has continued.
Considered the most influential Hamas figure abroad since the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July 2024, Al-Hayya leads a five-man council in Qatar. He is a veteran member of Hamas, having joined the Muslim Brotherhood in the early 1980s. His career has included multiple detentions by Israel and significant personal loss, including the deaths of two sons in previous wars and another son and his family in the 2014 Gaza conflict.
Al-Hayya has been instrumental in managing Hamas's international relations, particularly its ties with Iran, a key supplier of arms and funding. He has also been involved in diplomatic efforts, including leading a Hamas delegation to Damascus in 2022 to restore relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a move that aimed to strengthen a regional alliance against Israel and the United States.
In comments published by the Hamas-linked Palestinian Information Center, Al-Hayya stated that the October 7 attacks were intended as a limited operation to capture Israeli soldiers for prisoner exchanges. He also asserted that the attacks had successfully refocused international attention on the Palestinian issue.
