In a message issued on Monday, Abbas Araqchi said that Hayya's appointment as the new head of the Political Bureau of Hamas is an achievement for the group amid its ongoing battle against Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
“Holding internal elections by Hamas under the difficult conditions of the siege and the ongoing crimes of the Zionist occupying regime against the great Palestinian nation undoubtedly represents a major success for the Hamas movement," he said.
Araqchi also honored the memory of previous Hamas leaders who were martyred by the Israeli regime, including Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Ismail Haniyeh, and Yahya Sinwar, saying the resilience shown by Palestinian leaders, fighters, and people is the key to victory in the path of struggle for the liberation of Palestine.
He said that the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to offer firm support to the Palestinian people in their “legitimate struggle to be freed from the evil of occupation, apartheid, and colonialism of the Zionist genocidal regime.”
The top Iranian diplomat wished Hayya success in his new responsibility to vindicate the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, especially their right to self-determination.
Hamas has ruled the Gaza Strip, a narrow piece of land on the Mediterranean which is home to more than two million Palestinians, since 2007.
The group has a leader based in Gaza and a head of the political bureau who is mostly based abroad and regulates the group's relations with foreign governments and entities.
Hayya replaces Sinwar, who was martyred by the Israeli regime in Gaza in 2024.