Azzam Al-Hayya died while father, Khalil, takes part in ceasefire talks in Cairo
An Israeli airstrike killed the son of Hamas’s top negotiator at US-mediated talks on the future of the Gaza Strip. The information was released by a senior official from the Palestinian group on Thursday (May 7, 2026).
The death comes at a time when Hamas leaders are targeting the Israelis.
According to Basim Naim, a high-ranking member of the group, Azzam Al-Hayya succumbed to injuries caused by Israeli bombing on Wednesday night (May 6). This is the 4th son of negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya to die in military offensives. The Israeli Army did not comment on the operation.
OTHER DEAD CHILDREN
Khalil Al-Hayya, who has 7 children, survived multiple assassination attempts. In 2025, in Qatar, he killed another of his children. Israeli security forces also killed 2 of the Palestinian leader’s sons during operations against the Gaza Strip carried out in 2008 and 2014.
In an interview with the television network Al Jazeeraon Wednesday (May 6), before the announcement of Azzam’s death, Khalil Al-Hayya accused the Israeli government of trying to undermine the mediators’ efforts. The negotiator assessed that the offensive harms US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, a project supervised by the so-called Peace Council.
“These Zionist attacks and violations clearly indicate that the occupation does not want to respect the ceasefire or the 1st phase [do acordo]”declared the Hamas representative.
PLAN FOR GAZA
The violent operations occur at a time when Hamas representatives are holding talks with regional mediators and Hamas’s main envoy in Cairo. The objective of the meetings is to promote the 2nd phase of Trump’s plan for the territory.
The project, which Israel and Hamas agreed to in October 2025, envisages the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and the beginning of the reconstruction of local infrastructure as soon as the extremist group lays down its weapons.
The disarmament of Hamas, however, is a point of disagreement in the talks to implement the measures and consolidate the ceasefire, which interrupted 2 years of declared war in the region.
A representative of the Palestinian group told the news agency Reuterson Wednesday (May 6), that the organization warned Mladenov that it will not participate in negotiations on the 2nd phase of the plan before Israel fulfills the obligations of the 1st stage, which includes the complete suspension of attacks.
According to local doctors, at least 830 Palestinians have died since the ceasefire agreement came into force. Israel says militants killed 4 of its soldiers during the same period.
