Hamas name Khalil al-Hayya as dia new overall leader

Di Palestinian armed group Hamas don elect Khalil al-Hayya as dia new leader, according to one statement.

E go replace Yahya Sinwar, wey Israeli military kill for Gaza for October 2024.

Pipo dey see Hayya, wey already dey head di movement for Gaza from exile as pesin wey dey represent di more hardline faction wey emerge from di devastating war wit Israel wey start almost three years ago.

E be close associate of Sinwar and dem see am as pesin wey go continue di political line going back to di late Ismail Haniyeh.

As di chief negotiator for Hamas, Hayya bin gain international prominence by leading di group delegations for indirect ceasefire talks, as e meet mediators for Egypt and Qatar.

E recently take on greater responsibility for Hamas diplomatic and political strategies.

For September 2025, di 65-year-old survive one Israeli air strike wey target one meeting of Hamas leaders for di Qatari capital, Doha.

Dem kill five lower-level members of di group, wey include one of im sons, plus one member of Qatari security forces

Israel prime minister bin tok at di time say dem dey target Hamas leaders bicos dem organise one attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, wey bin trigger di Gaza war.

Two of Hayya sons bin also dey killed for inside previous Israeli attempts on im life for Gaza, and im fourth son die for one Israeli air strike for Gaza for May.

Hayya election as head of Hamas political bureau bin follow two rounds of voting, as members clearly split between competing visions for di future direction of di group.

Di first round bin dey inconclusive, as former political bureau chief Khaled Meshaal narrowly win more votes pass Hayya, but e fail to pass di required threshold, according to one well-informed Palestinian official wey dey familiar wit di election.

Under Hamas internal rules, a candidate must secure at least 36 votes from di 69-member electoral college to dey elected straight up.

Pipo understand say na first-past-di-post vote dey decide di second round run-off.

Hamas dey go through one of di most difficult periods for dia history.

Di group - wey Israel, UK, US and many odas countries don label as a terrorist organisation - don dey seriously weakened by di Gaza war, wey dem take kill most of dia senior military and political leadership, dismantle dia governing structures dismantled, and destroy most parts of di Palestinian territory.

Di leadership contest don expose one widening strategic divide within Hamas ova dia future.

Meshaal, wey bin lead di movement previously for decades wen e dey exile, dey associated wit Hamas traditional leadership.

Im supporters don argue say make Hamas draw lessons from di war, move away from strategy wey focus primarily on armed confrontation, and adopt a more pragmatic political approach as dem dey preserve di movement core objectives.

However, supporters of Hayya successfully don successfully argue say Gaza leadership, wey don bear di mark of di conflict, suppose lead di movement now.

Dem wan continue to dey firm against pressure to make major concessions, particularly on top di issue of disarmament.

Since dem agree to a ceasefire deal wit Israel last October, Hamas don refuse to give up dia weapons without a guaranteed political path to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.

Dem don reject plans from di US-led Board of Peace wey prioritise immediate demilitarisation ova reconstruction.

Hamas bin complain say lack of security guarantees dey against continuing Israeli attacks plus rival armed groups wey dey come up.

About 1,200 pipo die and dem take 251 odas hostage for di 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.

Israel bin respond as dem launch one massive military campaign for Gaza. During di dem kill more dan 73,280, wey include 1,158 since di ceasefire start, according to di territory Hamas-run health ministry.