Al-Hayya: “My son survived, the purpose of the assassination attempt was to force the Palestinian negotiators to capitulate”

The leader of the Hamas terrorist group, Khalil al-Hayya, in an interview with Al-Jazeera TV channel, denied information about the death of his son Azzam in Gaza. According to the terrorist leader, he was seriously wounded but survived.

“The political goal of this assassination attempt is clear – to put pressure on the Palestinian negotiators and force them to capitulate. But it will not be possible to break the spirit of the Palestinian people. We will not give up and will not leave our land, no matter what sacrifices this may require,” he said.

Al-Hayya accused Israel of persistent ceasefire violations, said it had failed to implement the commitments associated with the first phase of the agreement, and called proposals to disarm Hamas unrealistic amid the “catastrophic humanitarian situation” in the Gaza Strip.

The Hamas leader criticized Qatar, Turkey and Egypt, which he said had failed to force Israel to fulfill its obligations. He brushed aside Israeli threats to resume hostilities, saying that they were still ongoing – just at low intensity.

Let us note that earlier Israel officially confirmed the liquidation of Azzam al-Hayya. Hamas militant Hamza al-Sharbasi was also killed.

In 2007, Israel struck the house of Khalil al-Hayya in the Shujaiyya neighborhood of Gaza; he himself survived, but, according to various sources, seven or eight of his relatives were killed, including his wife, three children and three brothers. In 2008, one of his sons, who commanded a missile unit, was killed by the IDF. In July 2014, during an operation in Gaza, another son, daughter-in-law and grandson were killed in a strike on his house. On September 9, 2025, Khalil al-Hayya survived an Israeli strike on a Hamas facility in Doha. His son Himam and his office manager Jihad Labad were killed in the strike.