Hamas' Al-Hayya appears, making first statement since Doha attack
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Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya reemerges after surviving an Israeli strike in Doha, mourning his son and colleagues.
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Khalil al-Hayya, a high-ranking Hamas official who has represented the Palestinian Resistance group in negotiations for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 24, 2024. (AP)
Senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya has made his first media appearance, on Saturday, since the Israeli occupation’s aggression on Doha last month, mourning his son and colleagues while reaffirming that personal grief is inseparable from the Palestinian nation’s shared sacrifice.
Al-Hayya, who heads Hamas’ negotiating team in the Qatar- and Egypt-mediated ceasefire talks, delivered his address in a recorded statement aired by Al-Araby TV, marking his first message since the September 9 Israeli strike that killed six people, including his son martyr Hammam al-Hayya, his office manager martyr Jihad Labbad, and several members of his staff.
“Today we live in the shadow of pain and in the shadow of pride and dignity,” al-Hayya said.
From personal tragedy to national resolve
The Hamas official described his losses as part of a wider tapestry of national suffering under Israeli aggression, insisting he made no distinction between his family and the thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 2023.
“I do not differentiate between them and any Palestinian child in Gaza killed by the occupation,” he underlined. The senior Hamas official underscored that all these losses share a single cause, the ongoing crimes of the Israeli occupation.
He emphasized that the path of sacrifice binds all Palestinians, describing those killed, including his son, as martyrs whose blood “paves the way to liberation.”
Al-Hayya’s remarks echoed a broader message of unity within the Resistance front, portraying Gaza’s endurance as the embodiment of national and historical struggle.
We belong to this large family, the family of the Palestinian people, especially the people of Gaza, who today represent the nation through their struggle, patience, and sacrifices — sacrifices that are rare throughout history.
- Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya
Addressing the century-long struggle
In his address, al-Hayya paid tribute to the “100-plus years of Palestinian struggle” against Israeli and Western plots, framing the current war as a continuation of that historical confrontation.
He reaffirmed Hamas’ commitment to the liberation of Palestine “from the river to the sea,” and called for steadfastness in the face of what he described as the occupation’s “genocidal war and Western complicity.”
Read more: Hamas: Israeli bombing of Gaza exposes Netanyahu’s lies
Diplomacy under fire
The September 9 Israeli strike in Doha came amid renewed mediation efforts led by Qatar and Egypt to reach a ceasefire and prisoner-exchange deal between Hamas and "Israel". The attack, which targeted senior Hamas officials, drew condemnation from across the region. These strikes drew larger concerns as the Israeli Air Force targeted a compound where Hamas leaders were convening to discuss a US-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza, a move seen as a deliberate attempt to sabotage diplomatic efforts.
At the time, Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “torpedoing diplomacy” and “choosing escalation over stability.”
Al-Hayya’s survival and subsequent reappearance carries symbolic weight for the movement. His message projected continuity, discipline, and resilience despite sustained Israeli attempts to target Hamas’ political leadership in Gaza and abroad.
Read more: Gaza death toll rises to 67,074 amid ceasefire talks
