Mrs. Amal al-Hayya, wife of Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip, embodied a model of Palestinian steadfastness as she recounted the details of losing four of her sons and five of her grandchildren due to the continuous Israeli occupation aggressions. Al-Hayya affirmed in an interview with media sources that she remains committed to staying within the Strip, rejecting all options to leave despite the immense pain and suffering endured by the residents of Gaza, noting that her remaining children, Izz al-Din, Tasneem, and Shaima, share her determination.
The chapters of sacrifice in the al-Hayya family began in 2008, when her son Hamza was martyred along with his wife and three of his children, leaving behind a son and a daughter. He was followed by his elder brother Osama in the 2014 aggression. The targeting did not stop at the borders of the Strip but extended to her son Hammam, who was killed in an Israeli attack targeting a meeting of the movement's leaders in the Qatari capital, Doha, last year, after he was chosen by lot to accompany his parents abroad.
In a recent field development, sources announced the martyrdom of her fourth son, Azzam, this May 2026, following an Israeli attack that targeted him in Gaza City, making him a martyr after a journey of pursuit and injuries. Azzam had suffered a severe injury in 2022 and received treatment in Turkey before insisting on returning to Gaza to continue his national path alongside his people, which his mother considered proof of true belonging.
Mrs. Amal spoke with a patient heart about the last moments before Azzam's martyrdom, explaining that she had not been able to see him or hear his voice since the outbreak of the war until just two weeks before his martyrdom in a call that seemed like a final farewell. She indicated that she was afraid for him from the pain of injury and physical suffering, so she prayed to God to grant him martyrdom, which he received bravely, affirming that she had also lost many of her siblings and relatives during the years of conflict.
Regarding her feelings about the loss of her sons, the wife of the Palestinian leader explained that she was unable to bid farewell to any of her martyred sons due to the difficult field conditions, but she received the news of their ascension with steadfastness, praise, and prostration in gratitude to God. She stressed that her family refuses to be distinguished from the rest of the citizens, as her children and grandchildren live under the same harsh conditions and siege imposed by the occupation on all residents of the Strip without exception.
Al-Hayya expressed her deep pride in offering her sons as a sacrifice for Palestine, considering that the children of leaders must be at the forefront of those who sacrifice and not fall behind the resisting popular movement. She believed that these sacrifices are a small part of what the Palestinian people offer, who have faced difficulties that mountains would struggle to bear, describing the people of Gaza as having become a 'beauty mark on the forehead of the nation' with their legendary steadfastness in the face of the Israeli war machine.
In conclusion, Mrs. Amal al-Hayya extended a message of salute and reverence to all families in the Gaza Strip who have given their most precious possessions, praying to God to grant them imminent victory, break the siege, and relieve their distress. She affirmed that the will to remain on the land is the strongest weapon in confronting attempts at displacement and liquidation, and that the blood of her sons and grandchildren is fuel from which the Palestinian people draw strength to continue their path towards freedom.
The children of leaders must be at the forefront and not fall behind their people as they resist the occupation, and I feel proud that I offered my children as a sacrifice for their homeland.
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Wife of Leader Khalil al-Hayya Recounts Her Family's Journey of Sacrifice: The Martyrdom of 4 Sons and 5 Grandchildren