Hamas slams killing of Hayya's son in ‘cowardly attack' by Israel on Gaza

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has strongly denounced the killing of Azzam al-Hayya in a “cowardly attack” by Israel on the besieged Gaza Strip, stressing that targeting the families of Palestinian leaders will not disrupt the resistance across the territory.

The son of senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya died of his injuries on Thursday after an Israeli air raid in Gaza City’s Daraj neighborhood late Wednesday night.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Palestinian resistance group said the killing “represents a continuation of the occupying regime’s approach of targeting civilians and the families of Palestinian leaders.”

Hamas stressed that the assassination of Khalil al-Hayya’s son was carried out “as part of failed Israeli attempts to affect the will of the resistance and its political positions through terror, killing, and psychological pressure.”

The statement added that “the inconsistencies surrounding the Zionist narrative on the targeting spree reveal the extent of the confusion within the occupying regime.”

Hamas stated that the crime was committed after the occupying entity’s “failure to impose its terms or achieve its declared objectives” in Gaza and elsewhere across the occupied territories.

“The occupation’s resort to this type of crime confirms its deep crisis and its inability to break the will of our people or achieve any political or military victory, so it turns instead to a policy of revenge and attempts to spread fear by targeting families and civilians.”

The Palestinian group went on to say that the latest assassination was carried out within “the framework of attempts to exert pressure on the resistance leadership and its negotiating delegation.”

“These crimes will not make the Palestinian negotiator retreat from his principles or abandon our people’s rights to halt the aggression, end the siege, and secure a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.”

This crime confirms the Israeli regime’s determination to target anyone who upholds our people’s rights and national principles, Hamas said.

Azzam was the fourth son of Khalil al-Hayya to be killed in Israeli attacks. One of them was killed when Israel targeted the Hamas negotiating team in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Dr. Khalil al-Hayya and the negotiating delegation were subjected to a previous heinous assassination attempt in Doha, during which “a number of our people and dear Qatari people were killed, including Dr. Khalil’s son Hammam,” the statement said.

Hamas affirmed that “the Palestinian people, who have offered tens of thousands of martyrs, will not allow the occupation to turn the blood of sons and families into a tool for political blackmail.”

The Israeli campaign of terror will only boost the objectives of the resistance, Hamas said.

“The blood of the Palestinian martyrs, no matter how great the sacrifices, will remain fuel for our people’s steadfastness and resilience, and a driving force to continue defending their legitimate national rights until freedom is achieved and the occupation ends.”

Elsewhere, Hamas said the assassination will not weaken the resistance groups but will instead deepen popular support.

“Furthermore, targeting the sons of Palestinian leaders will not weaken the resistance’s position; rather, it will increase its adherence to our people’s rights and its determination to seize them.”

The developments come as Israel’s brutal aggression has already killed more than 72,500 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023.

Although a ceasefire has been in place in the Gaza Strip since October 2025, Israel has continued to carry out strikes on the territory and enforce a blockade that has severely restricted the import of essential supplies and medical equipment.

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