Israeli state broadcaster Kan reported on Sunday that senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya recently met with an adviser to US President Donald Trump in Qatar, citing senior political sources in Washington and Tel Aviv.
The report did not identify the adviser or provide further details about the meeting, and there was no immediate confirmation from Hamas or US officials.
The report comes amid an ongoing debate in Israel over the outcome of the war in Gaza and Hamas’s future capabilities.
Writing in Yedioth Ahronoth, Israeli commentator Avi Issacharoff argued that, despite nearly three years of war, Hamas has retained political control over the Gaza Strip and is rebuilding its military capabilities.
Issacharoff wrote that, following the 7th October 2023 attack, Israel viewed a large-scale military campaign against Hamas as necessary because it believed the group’s military wing benefited from tax revenues and humanitarian resources entering Gaza.
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However, he argued that after approximately 1,000 days of war, Hamas had survived militarily and remained the dominant authority in the territory.
According to Issacharoff claims, reports from Gaza indicate that Hamas is rebuilding tunnel networks, resuming weapons production, including rockets, and attempting to smuggle drones through Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula while continuing to recruit and pay members.
He also said planned anti-Hamas demonstrations in Gaza last week attracted limited participation, which he attributed to both fear of reprisals and the group’s continued influence.
Issacharoff noted that several senior Hamas commanders have been killed during the conflict but argued that the organisation has replaced them with new leaders who continue to maintain its command structure.
His assessment reflects his own analysis and has not been independently verified. The Israeli government has repeatedly stated that dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities remains one of its principal objectives, while Hamas maintains that it continues to operate despite sustained Israeli military operations.
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