Hamas has named Khalil al-Hayya as its new leader, choosing a senior figure from inside the Palestinian group after an internal ballot that went to a run-off against Khaled Meshaal.
The decision was announced on Monday, July 20, 2026. Al-Hayya, described as a former deputy chairman of the group, succeeds Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in Gaza by the Israeli army in October 2024.
Meshaal, who was defeated in the run-off, is a former Hamas political leader. The announcement did not give vote totals or describe how the internal ballot was conducted.
No immediate public statement from al-Hayya was included in the announcement. It also did not set out whether the leadership change would alter the group’s political line, its negotiating posture or its internal structure.
The choice gives Hamas a named successor nearly two years after Sinwar’s killing. For now, the public details are limited to the winner, the rival he defeated, and the succession line from Sinwar.
