Hamas names Khalil Al-Hayya as new leader, statement says

July 20 - Hamas has named Khalil Al-Hayya as its overall leader, according to a statement from the Palestinian militant group on Monday.

Al-Hayya replaces Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in combat with Israeli forces in 2024 as Hamas fought a full-scale, two-year war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

Al-Hayya, the group's exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator, has become an increasingly central figure in the leadership of Hamas since the deaths of Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran in July 2024.

Al-Hayya was among top officials targeted in an Israeli attack in Doha in 2025, Israeli officials told Reuters. REUTERS