The 32-year-old son of Hamas’ primary negotiator died Thursday following injuries he sustained in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City, according to the militant organization.
Azzam al-Hayya, son of lead Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, was among several people wounded in the Gaza City strike that also claimed one other life. Israeli military officials have not issued a statement regarding the attack. The elder al-Hayya currently operates from outside the territory.
Israeli forces have maintained routine airstrikes on what they describe as militant locations — operations that have also resulted in civilian casualties — following a U.S.-mediated ceasefire that ended large-scale military actions in October. The ceasefire deal also secured the freedom of remaining captives seized during Hamas’ October 7, 2023 assault that triggered the conflict.
Several major provisions of the ceasefire deal have yet to be implemented, including Hamas disarmament, the establishment of an international peacekeeping presence, and Israel’s pullback from the portion of Gaza where its forces remain stationed. Both Israel and Hamas have pointed fingers at each other for ceasefire breaches.
The militant group has alleged that Israel is attempting to influence peace talks through assassination campaigns. Officials have not confirmed whether the younger al-Hayya was specifically targeted in the attack.
Speaking to Al Jazeera following his son’s injury, al-Hayya stated that if his son had been deliberately targeted, “it would be an honor to me, to him, and to all Palestinians.”
Regarding disarmament discussions, al-Hayya indicated Hamas would only consider the ceasefire agreement’s second stage after Israel completes the initial phase, which requires ending combat operations and increasing humanitarian assistance.
Israeli military operations have eliminated numerous senior Hamas officials and their relatives throughout the conflict. Al-Hayya lost another son, Hammam, in an Israeli attack on Hamas leadership in Qatar last September.
At Gaza’s Shifa Hospital, al-Hayya’s daughter Tasnim declared that her father’s resolve would not waver due to his children’s deaths.
“We are like all our people. Everyone has suffered and everyone has sacrificed. We are one of them,” she stated.
The death toll in Gaza has exceeded 72,000 since Israel began its military response to Hamas’ 2023 offensive, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 people taken captive. Gaza residents continue facing numerous daily hardships, including water shortages and rodent problems in temporary shelters.
Family members of three victims from a separate Wednesday Israeli strike gathered at Shifa Hospital’s courtyard Thursday for final farewells, holding each other while grieving.
The victims had recently relocated from a school shelter and were establishing new tents when the strike occurred. A father, his son, and his nephew were killed, family member Yahiya Kishko confirmed.
