Hamas names Khalil Al-Hayya as new overall leader

CAIRO: Hamas has named Khalil Al-Hayya as its overall leader, according to a statement from the Palestinian militant group on Monday (Jul 20), in a move an analyst says could signal a tougher stance by the group towards disarmament calls.Hayya replaces Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in combat with Israeli forces in October 2024 as Hamas fought a full-scale, two-year war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.Hayya, the group's exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator, has become an increasingly central figure in the leadership of Hamas since the deaths of Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran in July 2024.He is seen as more hardline than Khaled Meshaal, the head of the group's office in exile and the other frontrunner for the leadership.Hayya was among top Hamas officials targeted in 2025 in