Key facts
- Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya met with U.S. envoy Jared Kushner in Egypt.
- The meeting was part of discussions regarding a U.S. plan to end the war in Gaza.
- Talks concluded without a breakthrough, with Israel and Hamas holding firm on their demands.
- Al-Hayya assumed leadership of Hamas' Political Bureau in July and is a founding member.
- Al-Hayya has survived assassination attempts and lost family members in Israeli strikes.
Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya met with U.S. envoy Jared Kushner in Egypt, marking a significant engagement between the U.S. and the Palestinian militant group. Al-Hayya, who assumed leadership in July 2026, has been a pivotal figure within Hamas, known for his close association with the late Yahya Sinwar and his involvement in negotiations.
Al-Hayya's political career began with his involvement in the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas in the late 1980s. He has served in the Palestinian Legislative Council since 2006 and previously held the position of Deputy Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau. He has narrowly escaped assassination attempts, including an Israeli airstrike in Qatar in 2025 that killed his son and aides. His family has also suffered losses in Israeli strikes, with several relatives and children killed in various incidents over the years.
The meetings with Kushner represent a departure from the U.S.'s long-standing policy of shunning Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization. Al-Hayya was part of a five-member leadership council following Sinwar's death and was instrumental in Hamas' July agreement to lay down weapons under a plan supported by President Donald Trump, though Hamas disputes the term 'disarmament,' preferring to describe it as weapons being stored under a U.S.-backed technocratic government.
Born in Gaza City in 1960, Al-Hayya holds a PhD in Islamic Studies and previously worked as a lecturer. He left Gaza in 2021 and was based in Qatar, serving as Hamas' point person with Arab and Islamic states. He is also seen as part of a faction within Hamas that has deepened ties with Iran.