Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, said on Thursday that Israel is trying to impose its conditions at the negotiating table through military force, adding that targeting leaders and their families would not achieve its goals.
His remarks came in a recorded speech following the martyrdom of his son, Azzam, who died from severe wounds suffered in an Israeli air strike targeting the al-Daraj neighbourhood east of Gaza City on Wednesday.
“Praise be to God, who honoured me further through the martyrdom of my son Azzam,” al-Hayya said.
He described the incident as “part of the ongoing targeting by the Zionist enemy of our people and families”.
Al-Hayya said Israel “has become accustomed to negotiating with Palestinians through fire”.
READ: Hamas leader’s son dies of injuries from Israeli strike in Gaza
He added that the targeting of his son was a continuation of “the targeting of the negotiating delegation last year, in the same context”.
On 9 September 2025, the Israeli army carried out a strike targeting the residence of a Hamas delegation in Qatar’s capital, Doha. Israel described the operation as a “precise” strike against Hamas leaders, while Qatar condemned it as a violation of its sovereignty.
The Israeli attack killed six people, including five Hamas members and aides, among them Hamam, another son of Khalil al-Hayya, as well as a Qatari security officer. The negotiating delegation survived the attack.
“We can only thank God and bid farewell to our martyrs with patience, steadfastness and resilience on the path of dignity and the achievement of our people’s national goals,” al-Hayya added.
READ: Meshaal: Gaza to remain at forefront of resilience following historic sacrifices
