Hamas's newly appointed leader Khalil al-Hayya delivered a television address in Arabic on Wednesday, pledging to follow the path of his predecessors, including Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, who orchestrated the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel's south.
Al-Hayya described assuming the role as carrying a "heavy burden" During a "delicate and sensitive stage in the history of our national cause," According to Al Jazeera. He stated: "The first thing we affirm is that we will walk the same path, carrying the banner high and fluttering until it is raised over Al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem] and the lands of a free and defiant Palestine, for which the free and sincere people from all factions of our people and its righteous sons have struggled."
The new leader identified the organization's first priority as ending Israel Defense Forces' "occupation" Of Gaza and securing full withdrawal, calling for progression to the next stage of ceasefire negotiations.
Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip represented the second priority, described as "an inherent right of our people" That should not require political concessions, al-Hayya said. He also called for Palestinian factions to unite and rebuild "national institutions... on democratic foundations," Extending an invitation to the PLO to participate in political decision-making.
Before October 7, al-Hayya served as deputy to Sinwar and maintained close connections with Tehran, meeting with Iran's then-supreme leader Ali Khamenei. He departed Gaza before the attack and has been based primarily in Qatar while visiting Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. He has led Hamas's ceasefire negotiating team with the United States.
The October 7 operation resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 people kidnapped into Gaza.