Arabic version: خليل الحية يتولى قيادة حماس

According to Al Jazeera, Khalil al-Hayya has been appointed to head Hamas after serving on a five-man council that led the Palestinian group for almost two years.

Al-Hayya joined Hamas when it was founded four decades ago. He has survived several Israeli assassination attempts and has been detained many times.

More recently, he led Palestinian delegations in negotiations aimed at ending Israel’s war on Gaza. His appointment comes as Hamas faces increasing pressure to cede power.

The new leader also takes control while more than two million Palestinians continue to endure near-daily Israeli attacks despite a formal ceasefire. Al Jazeera’s Inside Story examined how he may navigate those conditions and divisions within the movement.

The programme, presented by James Bays, featured Ibrahim Fraihat of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Muhammad Shehada of the European Council on Foreign Relations, and Max Rodenbeck of the International Crisis Group.