The Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas released a statement saying it had elected Khalil al-Hayya, a longtime Hamas insider and one of the group's leading diplomats, as its new leader, Al Jazeera reported on July 20.

Al-Hayya appears to be taking over Hamas' political and military factions in a unified leadership position as a direct successor to Yahya Sinwar, who was killed fighting Israel in 2024. Al-Hayya has negotiated with Israel over hostage and prisoner exchanges, and he oversaw reconciliation efforts with Hamas' rival, Fatah, prior to the start of the Gaza war in 2023. Al-Hayya is largely based in Doha, Qatar, where he was nearly assassinated in an Israeli strike in September 2025. Prior to al-Hayya's election in early July, Hamas dissolved its emergency government overseeing the Gaza Strip, a shift away from its long-standing position that it would retain some formal role in Gaza.