Hiya was born in 1927 in Bukhara, which was then part of the Soviet Union (now Uzbekistan). His father sold textiles while his mother was a homemaker.
When the Communists tried to seize all of the citizens’ property, his parents decided that five-year-old Hiya, along with his older brother and his wife, should leave the country with an Afghan passport. In Afghanistan, they discovered that they could reach Jerusalem. In 1933, after a year’s journey, they arrived at the border of Lebanon, which they crossed at night. They were seized near Metula by the British authorities and they were transferred to Bethlehem.
After three weeks in detention, they were released thanks to the efforts of family members. They were authorized to stay in the country for six months only.
In 1939, the family went from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, and in 1940, Hiya joined the ranks of Brit Hashmona’im. The same year he attended a course for instructors.
In 1943, he joined Lehi. He produced and posted posters at first, and then he was transferred to Department 6, because a friend of his was a Hagana member and a source of secret information about its activities. He also conducted reconnaissance of British Army movements and the army base on HaYarkon Street, before they took action there.
Hiya organized groups of youths in his neighborhood to recruit them for Lehi. He was reassigned to the youth department, where he attended a course for instructors and weaponry. He went on to train youth groups. Later, he was made responsible for a group of instructors.
One of his operations, blowing up the Jaffa railway, led British soldiers to drive recklessly down the streets of Tel Aviv in an armored truck, firing every which way with abandon. Hiya managed to find cover and even helped evacuate one of the wounded.
Another mission had him taking down the street signs from Allenby Street and King George Street and replacing them with Jewish kings and leaders. He also took a group of instructors he commanded to guard Tel Litwisnky. The mission was to take over the base once the British left, lest the Arabs do so first.
In 1947, as the state was being established, Hiya was one of the people behind the resurrection of the Brit Hashmona’im youth group, as cover for the Lehi’s own youth group.
Hiya did not enlist to the IDF with everyone else, as he received a deferment in order to establish the Fighters’’ List. After the Bernadotte assassination, many had to go underground. After clemency was granted, in 1949, he enlisted in the IDF and served in a number of positions in the Ordnance Corps.
He married Leah Kosayov, his girlfriend of five years. She too was recruited to Lehi by him.
They have three sons and numerous grandchildren.