Hamas Names Khalil Al-Hayya as Deputy to Yahya Al-Sinwar

Khalil Al-Hayya (photo: Al Jazeera)

Gaza, MINA – The leadership of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas has named Khalil Al-Hayya as the Deputy Head of the Political Bureau alongside Yahya Al-Sinwar.

On Tuesday evening, Hamas announced Yahya Sinwar as the head of the movement’s political bureau, replacing Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran, Iran last week. Quds Press reported this development.

One of Hamas’ leaders, Osama Hamdan, stated, “The decision was made unanimously by the Shura Council and the executive body.”

Dr. Khalil Ismail Ibrahim Al-Hayya, commonly known as Abu Usamah, was born in Gaza on November 5, 1960.

Background on Khalil Al-Hayya

Khalil Al-Hayya began his activism through the Palestinian Legislative Council as a representative of Hamas. Al-Hayya also serves as the deputy head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and doubles as the head of Hamas’ media office.

He has been a target of Israeli attempts on his life, surviving several assassination plots. Unfortunately, 19 members of his family were killed during these attempts. Al-Hayya holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Basic Religious Studies at the Islamic University of Gaza (1983).

He later obtained a master’s degree in Sunnah and Hadith from the University of Jordan (1989). His doctoral degree in Sunnah and Hadith was earned from the University of Al-Qur’an and Islamic Sciences in Sudan (1997).

Al-Hayya spent three years in an Israeli prison during the early 1990s. Despite Israel’s efforts to kill him in 2007 and 2014, he survived both incidents. Unfortunately, 19 of his family members, including his wife and three children, were targeted during these attacks.

In a press statement following these events, Al-Hayya referred to what he described as “suspicious Arab silence.”

He expressed his determination, saying, “We promise a resounding victory. The blood of my children and the Palestinian people will not be in vain and will bring us closer to the moment of triumph.” (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)