Khalil al-Hayya has been elected as the new leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, filling a vacancy that had lasted for nearly two years.
Hamas announced in a statement on the 20th (local time) that it has elected Khalil al-Hayya as the supreme leader of its political bureau to succeed the late Yahya Sinwar.
Sinwar, the former leader of Hamas, was killed during an Israeli military operation in Rafah, southern Gaza, in October 2024.
Since then, Hamas has been led by a five-member leadership committee that included al-Hayya.
Born in the Gaza Strip, al-Hayya spent his entire life as a Hamas official and was known to have enjoyed the trust of his predecessor, the late Sinwar.
He left the Gaza Strip just before Hamas's surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and had served as the number two in the Hamas political bureau in Qatar since October of the following year.
Since then, he has led hostage exchange negotiations with Israel during the Gaza war and served as the chief representative for Hamas in the cease-fire negotiation process.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)