Palestinian sources said Israel threatened Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya before assassinating his son during ongoing Gaza negotiations.
Key Developments
- Palestinian sources said Israel conveyed threats to Khalil al-Hayya through US mediators.
- Sources linked the assassination of Azzam al-Hayya to pressure during negotiations.
- Hamas said targeting leaders’ sons will not force concessions or weaken resistance positions.
Threats before the Assassination
Palestinian sources told Quds News Network that the assassination of Azzam al-Hayya came after direct threats conveyed by Israel through American mediators during recent negotiation sessions.
According to the sources, the threats were linked to the refusal of Khalil al-Hayya to accept Israeli conditions presented during ongoing talks.
The sources said the assassination carried political and security messages tied to the negotiation process and formed part of broader efforts to pressure Hamas leadership into making concessions.
Pattern of Targeting Leaders’ Families
The sources compared the operation to previous Israeli assassinations targeting relatives of senior Hamas leaders during negotiation periods.
They pointed to the killing of sons and grandchildren of former Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh during earlier negotiations, as well as the previous killing of Hammam al-Hayya, another son of Khalil al-Hayya, alongside aides and companions during earlier phases of stalled talks.
According to the sources, Israel is attempting to send direct messages to Hamas leadership that rejection of Israeli demands would lead to military escalation and targeting of leaders and their families.
Hamas Condemns the Assassination
Hamas condemned the killing on Thursday, describing it as a “cowardly Zionist crime” aimed at influencing the political positions of the resistance through intimidation, killing, and psychological pressure.
The movement said contradictions and confusion surrounding the Israeli narrative about the assassination reflected what it described as disarray within the Israeli government after failing to impose its conditions through negotiations or military pressure.
Hamas stressed that targeting the children of Palestinian leaders “will not weaken the resistance’s position,” but would instead deepen commitment to Palestinian rights and strengthen public support for the resistance.
The movement added that Hamas leaders and their families “pay the same price paid by the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
Khalil al-Hayya
In extensive remarks to Al-Jazeera on Wednesday evening, Khalil al-Hayya said the Israeli strike targeting Gaza City’s al-Daraj neighborhood, which killed Palestinian Hamza al-Sharbasi and critically wounded his son before he later died, was part of a broader Israeli strategy of “assassinations and political pressure.”
Al-Hayya accused Israel of attempting to secure through “killing and terrorism” what it failed to impose politically.
He said the attacks specifically targeted the Palestinian negotiating delegation in an effort to alter its position during ongoing talks.
“Either the Palestinian negotiator surrenders and the Palestinian leader submits, or he and his sons and his people pay the price,” al-Hayya said, describing what he called Israel’s message behind the assassinations and threats.
Accusations over Ceasefire Violations
Al-Hayya also accused Israel of failing to implement the ceasefire understandings reached under international sponsorship and guarantees.
He said hundreds of Palestinians had been killed and thousands wounded during the months following the agreement, while Israel continued restricting humanitarian aid, tightening the siege, and preventing reconstruction and infrastructure repairs.
According to al-Hayya, Hamas had presented several initiatives and was fully committed to the terms of the agreement, while Israel failed to implement most of its obligations.
He called on mediators and guarantors, particularly the United States, to pressure Israel to implement its commitments and advance the second phase of the agreement.
Crowds Mourn Azzam al-Hayya as Fourth Son of Khalil al-Hayya Killed during War
(PC, QNN, AJA, Palestinian Media)
This is Khalil al-Hayya has to face: “Despite Israel violating the ceasefire every day since the October 2025 agreement— .. —the Board of Peace has told Hamas it does not intend to hold Israel to the terms of the so-called ceasefire if Hamas does not accept its framework for disarmament. Failure by Hamas to accept the framework within a reasonable timeframe, as determined by the Board of Peace and after consultation with the parties, shall render such commitments null and void,” said a letter sent in April by Mladenov and Aryeh Lightstone …” https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/gaza-khalil-al-hayya-son-killed-israel-ceasefire-talks Khalil al-Hayya, steadfastness!
At some point Israelis must know that anything “agreed” to through sheer gratuitous violence simply cannot be taken seriously by anyone. What are they really trying to accomplish? I think they just enjoy killing and torturing people the way some enjoy watching pornography. and, given some of their own videos, that is not an exaggeration. The world can’t hate Israel more than it does… oh, wait, maybe it can. Israel can’t stop!