Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas announced on Monday that it had elected Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s lead negotiator in indirect ceasefire talks with Israel, as the new head of its political bureau.“The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announces the election of brother mujahid Khalil al-Hayya as head of the movement’s political bureau, succeeding the martyred leader Yahya al-Sinwar,” Hamas said in a statement.Sinwar, whom Israel accused of being one of the principal architects of the October 7, 2023 attacks, was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza a year later.Since his death, Hamas has been led by a five-member leadership council headed by long-time senior official Mohammed Darwish.Born in 1960, Hayya survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Doha last year, though one of his sons was killed in the strike.03:29US-Israel war on Iran is as reckless and catastrophic as it is stupid and illegalHayya defeated former Hamas chief and veteran leader Khaled Meshaal in the leadership contest.