Hamas offers to mediate Yemen conflict, says chief Khalil al-Hayya
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Gaza City: Hamas has offered to mediate between the warring sides in Yemen and is awaiting their response, the group's political bureau chief Khalil al-Hayya said in his first televised interview since taking charge of the organisation in July.
Al-Hayya said Hamas had already submitted a proposal aimed at ending the fighting in Yemen. The conflict has intensified again after years of relative calm following the 2022 truce, with the Houthis recently advancing in strategic areas and tensions affecting Red Sea shipping.
He also disclosed that Hamas leaders had held more than four meetings with US officials over the past two years. Discussions focused on Gaza, the Palestinian issue and the demands of Palestinians, with al-Hayya saying Hamas was seeking concrete steps rather than diplomatic assurances.
On Palestinian politics, al-Hayya called for direct talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to establish a common national programme and advance political unity. He said Hamas was prepared to participate in Palestinian elections and viewed them as a means of strengthening political and geographical unity among Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Al-Hayya also warned that the Palestinian issue risked being pushed aside by the region's other conflicts. He maintained that lasting stability in West Asia requires addressing Palestinian political rights and statehood, while accusing Israel of obstructing humanitarian assistance to Gaza.