Shachar Kleiman
Israel Hayom, Aug. 3, 2025
“… it appears Hamas has chosen to split leadership roles to reduce the risk of Israel eliminating the bureau’s head in a single strike.”
Hamas senior official Khalil al-Hayya has stirred significant anger across the Arab world in recent days, after calling on citizens of Jordan and Egypt to march toward the Gaza border. But who exactly is he?
Before the war, al-Hayya served as deputy to Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar. He left the Gaza Strip before Hamas’ October 7 massacre and has since mostly been based in Qatar, though he has also made visits to Turkey, Egypt, and Lebanon.
Born in 1960 in the Gaza Strip, al-Hayya joined Hamas during the First Intifada. He was arrested in the early 1990s and served a three-year prison sentence in Israel for involvement in terrorist activity. He later completed a doctorate in Islamic Studies at a university in Sudan, one of the key smuggling hubs in Iran’s weapons supply route to Hamas. It was during this period that he began building ties with senior officials in the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He eventually returned to Gaza via Egypt.
During the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, al-Hayya ran on Hamas’ list, which won a majority. He was subsequently appointed a member of parliament. About a year later, the parliament was effectively dissolved following Hamas’ violent takeover of the Gaza Strip and the expulsion of Fatah forces. …SOURCE