Israel’s Doha strike targeted senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, a key negotiator and Tehran ally. Questions remain whether he escaped or was killed, as his decades-long political career comes under fire.
By Imran Malik
September 10, 2025
WEBDESK — Israel’s airstrike in Doha has set off a storm of international condemnation, but a key question remains: who exactly was the target, and did they survive?
The Israeli military said the raid was aimed at “senior Hamas leaders directly responsible for directing the October 7 attacks against Israel.” In a statement, it claimed “precision weapons and extensive intelligence” were used to minimize civilian casualties.
Israeli media, including Channel 14, reported that among the intended targets was Khalil al-Hayya, one of Hamas’s most prominent political figures. While Israel has not confirmed whether al-Hayya was killed, reports suggest he may have escaped the strike. Instead, several other Hamas members present in Doha were reportedly killed, though their identities have not been officially disclosed.
Who is Khalil al-Hayya?
Khalil Ismail Ibrahim al-Hayya, widely known as Abu Osama, was born in Gaza in January 1960. A veteran figure within Hamas, he has long been regarded as one of the movement’s most influential leaders and negotiators.
Al-Hayya studied Islamic law extensively, earning degrees from the Islamic University of Gaza, the University of Jordan, and later a Ph.D. from Sudan’s University of the Holy Quran and Islamic Sciences. He also served as a lecturer before fully devoting himself to Hamas’s political work.
A member of the Palestinian Legislative Council since the 2006 elections, al-Hayya has played a leading role in ceasefire negotiations with Israel, including talks in Cairo in 2012 and 2014, and most recently in February 2025. He is also known for representing Hamas in regional diplomacy, from Damascus to Tehran.
His life has been repeatedly marked by violence and loss. In 2007 and again in 2014, Israeli strikes hit his family home, killing several of his relatives. More recently, during Israel’s 2023–24 bombardments, more family members were killed. Despite these losses, al-Hayya has remained at the forefront of Hamas’s leadership.
Seen as closer to Tehran than some of Hamas’s other leaders, he attended the Iranian president’s swearing-in alongside Ismail Haniyeh in 2021. He also led Hamas delegations to Lebanon and Syria in efforts to rebuild ties with regional allies.
Whether Israel succeeded in eliminating him in Doha remains unclear. But what is certain is that targeting such a high-profile Hamas figure on Qatari soil has escalated the conflict to new and perilous levels, prompting Qatar, the Arab League, and world powers to warn of dire consequences for regional stability.
