Official: Hamas Appoints New Leader to Replace Yahya Sinwar

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Hamas has appointed a new leader to replace Yahya Sinwar. He is Khalil al-Hayya, the former deputy chairman of the Palestinian group and one of the five members of the Hamas leadership council.

Al-Jazeera reported on Tuesday (21/7/2026) that al-Hayya won the internal election in a second round against another former political leader, Khaled Meshaal. Sinwar himself was killed in an operation by Israeli forces in October 2024.

Al-Hayya has become increasingly prominent following a series of assassinations of Hamas leaders. In addition to Sinwar, Israel also killed Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif in Gaza and Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in 2024.

He emerged as a key figure, serving as Hamas’s chief negotiator, when a ceasefire agreement was reached with Israel in October 2025. However, the deal failed to halt the frequent deadly Israeli attacks on Gaza that continue to this day.

Over the past two years, al-Hayya has been the target of at least two assassination attempts by Israeli forces. Al-Jazeera reported that the process of electing al-Hayya was highly complex and took several months.

‘Israel has not officially reacted to the election, but he has been described in Israel as an aggressive individual, someone closer to Iran than to Arab governments or even Turkey,’ the Qatari outlet reported.

‘This may, of course, provide some indication of how things will proceed going forward,’ Al-Jazeera added.

Al-Hayya was born in Gaza in 1960. He has been part of Hamas since its founding in 1987. He was elected to the Palestinian Authority parliament in 2006. He became particularly significant in diplomacy, primarily based in Qatar, which emerged as a central hub for mediation with other nations, including Israel, Egypt, and the United States.

Operating outside Gaza allowed him to travel and coordinate between neighbouring countries without the constraints of the Israeli blockade on Gaza. It was reported that al-Hayya lost his son in September last year when Israel attacked his residential complex in central Doha, Qatar.