Zaher Jabarin is expected to replace Khalil al-Hayya as Hamas's chief negotiator, a source told N12, days after al-Hayya was elevated to the group's overall leadership.
Hamas's Shura Council named al-Hayya as the movement's new political chief on Monday, succeeding Yahya Sinwar and formally consolidating his position as the group's most influential figure since the deaths of Sinwar and former leader Ismail Haniyeh. The promotion leaves the chief negotiator post, which al-Hayya has held throughout the ceasefire and hostage talks since October 2023, in need of a successor.
Jabarin has served alongside al-Hayya on Hamas's interim leadership council since late 2024, heading the movement's West Bank portfolio and its financial bureau while working closely on the negotiating file. He was also among the senior officials Israel targeted in its September 2025 strike on Hamas leadership in Doha.
Jabarin's rise would keep the negotiating file in the hands of a figure regarded, like al-Hayya, as close to Tehran and to Hezbollah, having spent years managing Hamas's financial network and its ties to the broader Iranian-backed axis. Analysts have described him as more hardline than Khaled Meshaal, the rival candidate who lost out to al-Hayya in this week's leadership vote and who has traditionally kept a greater distance from Iran in favor of closer ties to Qatar and Turkey.
A negotiating team led by Jabarin would likely reinforce expectations that Hamas intends to resist disarmament and preserve its relationship with Iran, rather than signal a softer posture heading into the next round of talks.
According to the source, Hamas's leadership has also decided to keep its headquarters split between Qatar and Turkey for the time being, rather than consolidating in a single location. The arrangement mirrors the setup al-Hayya has relied on for years, operating primarily out of Doha while maintaining a regular presence in Istanbul and ties to Ankara.
The reshuffle comes as talks between Hamas, mediators, and the Trump administration's Board of Peace envoys remain stalled over the terms of the group's disarmament and Israel's continued military presence in parts of Gaza.
