Israeli Airstrike Kills Azzam al-Hayya — Son of Hamas Chief Negotiator Khalil al-Hayya

An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on May 7, 2026 killed Azzam al-Hayya, 32, the son of Hamas senior political bureau leader and chief ceasefire negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, along with one other Palestinian; nine others were wounded. Azzam died from his wounds shortly after the strike. Khalil al-Hayya leads Hamas's ceasefire negotiation team and heads its political bureau. This was the fourth son of Khalil al-Hayya killed by Israel — three previous sons were killed during conflicts in 2008, 2014, and an earlier 2025 incident. Hamas accused Israel of deliberately targeting the families of negotiators to apply pressure on ceasefire talks. The strike occurred as Board of Peace mediators reported Nickolay Mladenov had met with Hamas officials in Cairo and an end-of-week disarmament deadline was being delivered. The IDF gave no immediate comment on whether Azzam al-Hayya was an intended target.