Key takeaways from Khalil al-Hayya’s first speech as Hamas leader

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkKhalil al-Hayya was chosen as Hamas’s new leader on Monday [File: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP]By Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 22 Jul 202622 Jul 2026Khalil al-Hayya, the new leader of Hamas, has issued a televised address to the “steadfast and patient Palestinian people”, pledging to rebuild Gaza and alleviate the suffering of its people, free political prisoners held in Israel, and unite Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem in a single “free and proud Palestine”.Speaking at a lectern in a suit jacket and open-necked shirt, with the flags of Palestine and Hamas behind him, al-Hayya said in his speech broadcast on Wednesday by Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV that the group would resist attempts to force Palestinians out of Gaza, and thanked the countries trying to end Israel’s genocidal war.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Hamas names Khalil al-Hayya as new leader after run-off with Khaled Meshaallist 2 of 3Who is Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s newly elected political chief?list 3 of 3What does Khalil al-Hayya’s election win mean for Gaza?end of listAl-Hayya was selected by the General Shura Council on Monday as the new head of the Hamas political bureau, coming ahead of former political chief Khaled Meshaal in a run-off vote.He replaced the previous leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by the Israeli army in Gaza in 2024. Between Sinwar’s killing and the appointment of al-Hayya, Hamas was led by a five-man ruling council, of which al-Hayya was a member.In his televised address, he called for an immediate and complete cessation of Israeli aggression in Gaza, and set out the priorities of Hamas.Here are the key takeaways from his address:He reaffirmed the goal of a united Palestinian stateAl-Hayya said the primary goal of Hamas was achieving a Palestinian state encompassing Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with its capital in East Jerusalem. This has been the group’s official objective since a revised policy document published in 2017.“Our first and foremost commitment is to continue on the same path, carrying the banner high and fluttering, until it flies over Al-Aqsa Mosque and the lands of a free and proud Palestine, for which the free and sincere among all the forces and factions of our people and its righteous sons have struggled and fought,” al-Hayya said.He addressed Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank in his speech.“Greetings to our people in occupied Jerusalem, the compass and the heart of our struggle, and to its Al-Aqsa Mosque, its minarets, and its churches,” he said.“And greetings to the steadfast West Bank … This West Bank, which the enemy seeks to seize and Judaise, is a responsibility and a trust placed upon our shoulders as long as we live.”He promised that Gaza would be rebuiltAl-Hayya expressed “heartfelt greetings and unwavering loyalty to our patient and steadfast people in Gaza, the land of pride”. He said the Palestinians in Gaza would never be driven out, and promised that Hamas would work to alleviate the suffering of the inhabitants of the territory, and eventually rebuild it.“People of Gaza, my family and my people, among whom I have spent my life, we know you, and you know us. We understand how much you have suffered and continue to suffer, and the wounds inflicted on you,” al-Hayya said.“You live in tents and makeshift shelters, with the earth as your bed and the sky as your blanket. How many days have passed without you finding sustenance, or food to comfort your weeping children?“One of our priorities is to restore a dignified life for our people in Gaza, to thwart all plots being hatched, particularly those aimed at displacement, and to accelerate and carry out reconstruction, as this is the inherent right of our people, and not a gift or favour from anyone, and it cannot be tied to any trade-offs, concessions, or political positions.Al-Hayya assured Palestinians that Hamas “will continue working in every way and direction, until we alleviate your suffering and pain, and restore to Gaza the dignified life that befits its dear, resilient, and patient people, until we see once again the beautiful, radiant Gaza we once knew”. He vowed to secure the release of prisonersAl-Hayya praised the history of Palestinian resistance against occupation through several uprisings over the years.“I salute our patient, resilient, and steadfast Palestinian people, who have remained on their land and clung to their rights,” he said.“Generation after generation, in Palestine, in the refugee camps, and in the diaspora, they have affirmed that our people are a steadfast resistance that will not relinquish or forget their land and rights. For no right is ever lost as long as there are those who demand it.”Al-Hayya said Hamas would “work to free the prisoners, end their suffering, and provide them with a life befitting their struggle and sacrifices”.He said regional peace requires fair treatment of PalestiniansThe Middle East can never be free from conflict until the Palestinian people are treated fairly, al-Hayya said.“What the region is witnessing proves that the stability of the Palestinian people is the key to the stability of the region,” he added.Addressing the international community, al-Khalil said the “standard of justice collapses entirely if you fail to protect the people of Gaza”.He thanked international mediatorsAl-Hayya thanked the countries that have sought to mediate and end Israel’s war, although he did not mention the United States.“We appreciate the role of the mediators in Egypt and Qatar and Turkiye who are exerting every effort to stop the cascade of bloodletting in the Gaza Strip,” he said.He called on the mediators and the wider international community to pressure Israel to follow the terms of a US-backed “ceasefire” agreed in October 2025, which Israel has largely ignored.He asked “the sponsoring states of the negotiation track to exert real pressure on the occupation government to implement what has been agreed upon”.Al-Hayya said that with hard work and determination, and with widespread sympathy around the world for the inhabitants of Gaza, Palestinians would accomplish their goals.“We are certain that together, with much dedicated work alongside the sincere members of our people, our nation, and the free people of the world who have stood with Gaza and consider it a symbol of humanity, liberation, and resistance against injustice, we are capable of achieving this,” al-Hayya said.