GAZA CITY (Dispatches) -- Khalil al-Hayya, the newly elected head of Hamas’s political bureau, delivered his first statement as leader on Wednesday, outlining the movement’s top priorities: stopping the Israeli genocide in Gaza, restoring a dignified life for its people, and achieving national unity.
The Gaza-born leader, who succeeds Yahya Sinwar, addressed the Israeli occupying forces directly in a defiant message. 
“We tell the occupiers that we are the owners of a cause. Neither the killing of our children nor the martyrdom of our leaders will frighten us or instill fear in our hearts,” Hayya declared.
Hayya, who has served as Hamas’s chief negotiator during ceasefire talks and led delegations in indirect negotiations with the terrorist entity of Israel through mediators in Egypt and Qatar, stressed that achieving national unity is among the Islamic Resistance Movement’s top priorities.
The newly elected leader named stopping the bloodshed in Gaza and restoring a dignified life for its people as Hamas’s current top priorities.
The West Bank was also addressed in Hayya’s statement, described as “a responsibility and a trust.”
The new leader also stressed that achieving national unity is among the Islamic Resistance Movement’s priorities. “Which is why we extend our hands to everyone,” he said, describing national unity as “a responsibility and a trust”.
Hayya, 65, was elected on Monday through an internal voting process that included representatives from all branches of the movement, including Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Israeli prisons, and Hamas offices abroad. 
The election came after two rounds of voting and reportedly resulted in a narrow 35-34 victory against former political bureau chief Khaled Meshaal.
A founding-generation leader and academic who holds a doctorate in Islamic studies, Hayya has been part of Hamas since its founding in 1987. He served as Sinwar’s deputy and took over leadership of the movement in Gaza in October 2024 after Sinwar’s assassination by Israeli forces in Rafah.
Hayya’s appointment has drawn congratulations from across the region. In a telephone conversation with leaders of Palestinian resistance groups, he emphasized the commitment to achieving unity of the Palestinian nation. 
The commander of Iran’s Quds Force, Brigadier General Esmail Qa’ani, congratulated Hayya, stating that by choosing “a personality who is a symbol of resistance and martyrdom,” Hamas had proven its “firm insistence on continuing the path of Islamic resistance”.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also expressed confidence that Hayya “will keep the banner of resistance raised ever more proudly before the occupiers”.