Did Israel's strike in Doha kill top Hamas negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya? Who is he and here's the TRUTH about social media claims
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Did Israel's strike in Doha kill top Hamas negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya? Who is he and here's the TRUTH about social media claims")
Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya Photograph: (Reuters)
Israel launched a targeted airstrike in Doha, claiming it hit top Hamas leaders, including Gaza chief Khalil Al-Hayya. While Israel believes Hayya was killed, Hamas sources deny it. The strike was confirmed by Netanyahu as an independent Israeli operation aimed at Hamas' leadership.
Israel on Tuesday (Sep 9) launched a targeted airstrike in Qatar's Doha, claiming that it was against "the top leadership of the Hamas terrorist organisation." Initial Israeli media reports suggested that Hamas' Gaza Chief, Khalil Al-Hayya was eliminated in the attack. The IDF stated that the attack targeted the top leadership of Hamas, who had been responsible for the October 7 massacre and were leading the conflict against Israel. The IDF also said that Hamas negotiators were targeted in their strike on the Qatari capital Doha. While Israeli officials are claiming that they are optimistic about the death of the top Hamas official, news agency Reuters, quoting a Hamas official, said that they survived.
Who is Hamas' Gaza Chief, Khalil Al-Hayya?
Khalil al-Hayya, a senior political figure in Hamas, has been a central player in ceasefire negotiations since the Gaza war reignited two years ago. Following the death of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July 2024, Hayya was widely regarded as the most influential Hamas figure operating abroad. He was part of the five-member leadership council that took over after Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in October 2024.
Born in Gaza in 1960, al-Hayya studied Arabic at the Islamic University of Gaza and worked as a lecturer before becoming a founding member of Hamas. Reuters reported that he has suffered heavy personal loss in the conflict, including the death of his eldest son, Osama, and several other relatives in Israeli airstrikes. He was also involved with the Muslim Brotherhood in the early 1980s and became a founding member of Hamas in 1987. Over the years, he was detained multiple times by Israeli authorities.
In 2007, an airstrike destroyed his family's home in Gaza City's Sejaiyeh neighbourhood. During the 2014 conflict, his son Osama’s home was hit, killing him, his wife, and three children. Hayya, however, was not present during these attacks, as he had relocated outside Gaza to represent Hamas abroad. Stationed in Qatar, he served as the group’s liaison to the Arab and Islamic world.
He was known for maintaining strong ties with Iran, a key financial and military supporter of Hamas. In July 2024, he travelled with Haniyeh to Tehran, where Haniyeh was later assassinated. Hayya also led diplomatic efforts, including an important 2022 visit to Syria aimed at repairing ties with Bashar al-Assad’s regime after years of estrangement. Hayya has publicly said that the October 7, 2023, attacks were intended as a limited operation to capture Israeli soldiers for a prisoner exchange. However, according to his comments in the Hamas-linked Palestinian Information Center, the Israeli army collapsed far more quickly than expected.
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In recent years, Hayya played a key role in leading Hamas delegations in indirect negotiations with Israel, including talks mediated by regional actors like Egypt and Qatar. His involvement extended to discussions about releasing Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu's response
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the recent targeted strike against senior Hamas leaders was a fully independent Israeli operation. The statement was released on X, and it stated that the operation was carried out “solely by Israel”, without external coordination or foreign involvement. This strike, conducted by the IDF, Shin Bet, and Israeli Air Force, targeted top Hamas commanders allegedly responsible for orchestrating the October 7 attacks and leading ongoing military operations against Israel, the statement said. Israeli authorities highlighted the use of precision weaponry and intelligence to minimise civilian casualties during the mission. The move marks a significant development in Israel’s broader campaign to dismantle Hamas’s leadership infrastructure in Gaza.
