Qatar was disappointed by Hamas’ decision to appoint Khalil al-Hayya as the terrorist organization’s leader after Doha had worked behind the scenes to secure the position for Khaled Mashaal, Kan News reported Tuesday.

Qatar had pushed for Mashaal, who views himself as part of the Qatar-Muslim Brotherhood axis, while al-Hayya is aligned with Iran’s axis.

Palestinian sources told Kan News that following al-Hayya’s selection, Qatar decided to punish Hamas by imposing a series of restrictions on the organization’s leadership in the country.

Qatari security services have restricted the Hamas leadership’s activities inside Qatar and now require advance approval for every official reception or meeting held by senior Hamas officials in Doha.

Hamas announced approximately two weeks ago that al-Hayya had been selected to head its political bureau. The position had remained vacant since Yahya Sinwar was eliminated in October 2024. Sinwar had taken over the role following the elimination of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh.

The political bureau serves as Hamas’ leadership council and oversees the terrorist organization’s political affairs.

In May, al-Hayya’s son Azzam was eliminated in an Israeli strike in Gaza City. He was the fourth of al-Hayya’s sons killed by IDF fire. His twin brother, Hammam, was eliminated during the unsuccessful Israeli strike in Doha that targeted senior Hamas leaders.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)