Khalil al-Hayya Wins 35 of 69 Hamas Votes as Gazans Demand Food, Water and an End to War
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 20
Khalil al-Hayya Wins 35 of 69 Hamas Votes as Gazans Demand Food, Water and an End to War
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 20
Summary
Mixed reactions in Gaza greeted Khalil al-Hayya’s rise to Hamas leader, with many residents saying the internal vote matters less than securing food, clean water, shelter and safety.
October 2023’s war and Israel’s siege have left Gaza devastated, displaced families and pushed political questions behind daily survival, according to residents who said any leader will be judged by whether conditions improve.
Ahmed and journalist Mahmoud Haniyeh said al-Hayya’s election comes at Hamas’s hardest moment and signals continuity, showing the movement still rejects a leadership vacuum and does not disown October 7.
That message lands amid a wider crisis of trust: analyst Mustafa Ibrahim said many Palestinians now care less about factional leadership than whether anyone can end the war, reach a deal and change life in Gaza.
The leadership change also unfolds as Hamas says it will hand Gaza’s administration to the UN-backed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a technocratic body formed in January 2026 but still blocked by Israel from entering the strip.