Khalil al-Hayya: How Hamas’s New Leader Strengthens Iran’s Grip
- Moataz Khalil
- Jul 23
- 5 min read
By Moataz Al-Khalil
Khalil al-Hayya reportedly defeated Khaled Meshaal by a single vote to become Hamas’s new overall leader and chairman of its political bureau. In an organization devastated by war and divided over its future, the narrow result was more than a Hamas leadership election. It exposed a struggle between Iran-aligned hardliners and a rival current led by Meshaal with stronger historical ties to Qatar, Turkey and the broader Muslim Brotherhood network.
Hamas announced al-Hayya’s election on July 20, formally ending the temporary collective leadership established after Yahya Sinwar was killed in Gaza in October 2024. Al Jazeera reported that al-Hayya defeated Meshaal by 35 votes to 34.
The razor-thin margin revealed the depth of the division inside Hamas. The outcome, however, was unmistakable: The faction most committed to armed struggle and preserving Hamas’s alliance with Tehran captured the organization’s top position and strengthened its influence over Hamas’s future direction.
Who Is Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s New Leader?
Al-Hayya, born in Gaza in 1960, has been involved with Hamas since its founding in 1987. He rose through the organization’s political hierarchy and eventually became one of its principal representatives abroad. Based in Doha, he has played a central role in ceasefire negotiations and other indirect talks with Israel.
His experience as a negotiator can obscure his harder-line record. Al-Hayya has long maintained close relations with Iran, one of Hamas’s most important sources of weapons, financing and training. He accompanied former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh to Tehran in July 2024 and led a Hamas delegation to Damascus in 2022, helping repair the organization’s relationship with Bashar al-Assad after a decade-long rupture.
As other senior Hamas leaders were killed, al-Hayya became increasingly influential. He survived an Israeli strike against Hamas leaders in Doha in September 2025 and continued directing the organization’s diplomatic and political operations from abroad.
His election therefore elevates more than an experienced Hamas official. It places the leader most closely associated with Iran at the head of the organization just as Hamas confronts international pressure to disarm and relinquish control over Gaza.
Why Khalil al-Hayya Defeated Khaled Meshaal
The contest between al-Hayya and Meshaal reflected a deeper ideological and geopolitical struggle inside Hamas.
Meshaal led Hamas’s political bureau from 1996 to 2017 and remains one of its most recognizable international figures. He is closely associated with Hamas’s external leadership and its relationships with Qatar, Turkey and the broader Muslim Brotherhood network.
His relationship with Iran has been more complicated than al-Hayya’s. The most serious rupture came during the Syrian civil war, when Hamas broke with Assad and backed the largely Sunni uprising against his government. That decision badly damaged Hamas’s relationship with Tehran, which was spending enormous resources to preserve the Assad regime.
Meshaal is not anti-Iranian, but he represents a faction that has historically demonstrated greater independence from Tehran than the camp surrounding al-Hayya.
There is no public evidence that Iran directly controlled the Hamas leadership vote. Yet the strategic outcome is difficult to ignore. Al-Hayya’s victory strengthens the faction most committed to remaining within Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance” and weakens those who might have sought greater political flexibility.
The one-vote margin also demonstrates how fiercely this direction was contested. Almost half of the organization’s voting leadership apparently preferred another course.
Could the West Bank Become Iran’s Next Front Against Israel?
The most dangerous implication of al-Hayya’s election may extend beyond Gaza.
A senior Palestinian source familiar with Hamas’s internal deliberations told Middle East 24 that Tehran’s support for al-Hayya was connected to Iran’s ambitions in the West Bank. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.
“The hidden side of appointing Khalil al-Hayya is that Iran is betting on Hamas launching military operations from inside the West Bank, including armed clashes with settlers. This is designed to force an Israeli invasion and completely reshuffle the cards.”
The source argued that Meshaal, who was born near Ramallah in the West Bank, would have been less willing to approve a strategy that could bring another destructive war to the territory.
According to the source, al-Hayya was considered more dependable from Tehran’s perspective because he would be less likely to resist Iranian pressure for escalation.
“Al-Hayya’s election was no accident. He is Iran’s man in Gaza and provides the kind of leadership Iran needs to continue military escalation.”
Middle East 24 could not independently verify this account. Nevertheless, it is consistent with Iran’s longstanding strategy of building armed networks around Israel and using local conflicts to expand its regional influence.
With Hamas severely weakened in Gaza and Hezbollah under growing pressure in Lebanon, the West Bank could offer Tehran another arena in which to challenge Israel. Escalating attacks there could provoke a major Israeli military response, undermine the Palestinian Authority and create new opportunities for Hamas to present itself as the dominant Palestinian force.
How Hamas Is Rebuilding Its Leadership
Al-Hayya’s election comes as Hamas attempts to rebuild an organization that lost many of its most senior political and military commanders during the Gaza war.
Zaher Jabarin, who has overseen Hamas’s West Bank portfolio and financial operations, is reportedly expected to assume a larger role in future negotiations. Ali al-Amoudi, a former Hamas media official and prisoner released in the 2011 Gilad Shalit exchange, has emerged as the acting head of the organization’s political bureau inside Gaza.
Reporting from Hamas insiders suggests that these appointments have generated additional internal tensions. Some officials have objected that vacancies were filled through appointments and consultations rather than ordinary internal elections.
Meanwhile, Hamas’s leadership infrastructure abroad remains centered in Doha, with Turkey continuing to serve as another important base for the organization’s political activity. A Hamas official said the political bureau would meet in Istanbul to establish new committees and begin restructuring the movement.
The result is an organization attempting to decentralize its operations while consolidating overall authority under a leader closely connected to Tehran.
What Al-Hayya’s Victory Means for Hamas and Gaza
Al-Hayya’s election does not prove that Iran dictates every Hamas decision. Hamas retains its own ideology, interests and internal factions. But his rise sends a clear message about the direction the organization has chosen.
It suggests that Hamas will resist demands to surrender its weapons, seek to rebuild its military capabilities and preserve its position within Iran’s regional network. It may also make negotiations over Gaza’s political future considerably more difficult.
Most importantly, al-Hayya’s election indicates that Hamas has learned little from the devastation brought upon Gaza since October 7. After losing much of its leadership and military infrastructure—and after exposing Gaza’s civilians to catastrophic destruction—Hamas could have selected a leader who signaled reassessment.
Instead, by the narrowest possible margin, it chose the candidate most closely associated with Iran and most committed to continued armed confrontation.
The one-vote margin shows that Hamas remains deeply divided. The winner shows which faction still has the upper hand.