Khalil al-Hayya, the newly elected chairman of Hamas's political bureau, called Wednesday for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, a complete Israeli withdrawal, and accelerated reconstruction. He also urged Palestinian unity and rejected the displacement of residents, according to Israeli media reports.
Khalil al-Hayya, the newly elected chairman of Hamas's political bureau, delivered his first public address Wednesday, in which he demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Strip, according to Israeli media reports. The address, which also included calls for Palestinian unity, rejection of displacement, and accelerated reconstruction, was reported by The Zioneer earlier this evening at 23:50 Jerusalem, with the full demands emerging after initial reports.
The Zioneer first reported on the speech at 17:07 Jerusalem, when al-Hayya vowed to continue on the path of his predecessors until the "liberation of Palestine." Shortly thereafter, an update noted that he also called on friendly states to pressure Israel to implement agreements. The new details of the permanent ceasefire and full withdrawal demands, while not present in the initial wire reports, were later confirmed by Israeli media coverage of the same speech.
The Zioneer has previously reported on regional reactions to al-Hayya's election. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf sent a letter congratulating him and vowing support "until the liberation of Jerusalem," as reported July 21. Hezbollah also issued a statement congratulating al-Hayya, saying Hamas remains "present, strong, and united" despite Israeli assassinations of its leaders. The desk has also covered earlier Hamas demands for a full ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal, including comments by senior official Osama Hamdan in June.
It remains unclear whether al-Hayya's demands represent a new negotiating position or a reiteration of longstanding Hamas conditions. The speech has not been independently verified beyond Israeli media reports, and no immediate response from Israel has been reported. The role of the call for regional ties in the context of the US-Iran war also remains to be seen.
3 developments
- DevelopingChannel 14's Noam Amir calls for elimination of new Hamas leader al-Hayya
- DevelopingIranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf sends support letter to new Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya
- StrongHezbollah congratulates Khalil al-Hayya on election as Hamas political bureau chief
- DevelopingHamas Official Hamdan: Election of al-Hayya Signals Continued Resistance
Source and signal
- Internal intake