{
  "id": 1764191,
  "title": "Khalil Al-Hayya, the Hamas chief who met Kushner",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/khalil-al-hayya-the-hamas-chief-who-met-kushner",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T17:40:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2026/08/1514111/khalil-al-hayya-hamas-chief-who-met-kushner"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Khalil Al-Hayya, the newly appointed leader of Hamas, met United States envoy Jared Kushner in Cairo on Sunday. This marked the second time Al-Hayya had met with Kushner, the first being in October last year, during negotiations that resulted in a ceasefire and the release of remaining hostages seized in the Hamas-led attacks on Israel in 2023.\n\nAl-Hayya had previously narrowly escaped assassination in an Israeli air strike in Qatar last year, which killed his son and several aides. Born in 1960, Al-Hayya joined the Muslim Brotherhood movement and later became a pivotal figure in Hamas during the Gaza war, succeeding Yahya Al-Sinwar after the latter was killed by Israel in 2024.\n\nThe meeting with Kushner marked a shift in Washington's policy towards Hamas, which the US has long designated as a terrorist group. Al-Hayya served as part of a five-member council that ran Hamas from 2024 following the killing of Israel's mastermind behind the Oct 7, 2023 attacks.\n\nDespite Israel's rejection of a plan to disarm Hamas in exchange for a withdrawal from Gaza, Al-Hayya has expressed a desire for stability and a Palestinian entity in line with international law. He also emphasized the importance of peace for regional stability, stating that without it, the region would remain unstable.",
  "summary": "KHALIL Al-Hayya, the Hamas chief who met United States envoy Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, in Cairo on Sunday, emerged as a pivotal figure in the Palestinian group during the Gaza war as Israel killed its other leaders.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Hamas says it is committed to Gaza deal after Kushner’s Israel visit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/hamas-says-it-is-committed-to-gaza-deal-after-kushners-israel-visit",
        "published": "2026-08-18T11:13:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}