According to Asharq, Hayya is expected to win due to his popularity in the Gaza Strip and involvement in Hamas operations in the West Bank.
Hamas is planning to hold internal elections to choose its new political bureau head, the Saudi Arabia-based channel Asharq News reported on Saturday.
The election, which was originally set to be held earlier this year, was ordered by a leadership council that was established after the deaths of Hamas’s previous political bureau chiefs Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, who was the mastermind behind Hamas’s October 7 massacre.
Asharq News reported that the decision to hold the election, which will result in the dissolution of the transitional leadership council, was forced by “the appearance of contradictory opinions among the members of the council” regarding Hamas’s future in Gaza and ties with regional allies.
Hamas’s Shura Council, made up of approximately 50 individuals representing the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and global Hamas operations, has begun preparations for the election, the Saudi news channel said, adding that the vote will occur within the next few days or weeks.
Candidates disagree on Hamas strategy, Iran ties
The two candidates up for the position are Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Mashaal. According to Asharq, Hayya is expected to win due to his popularity in the Gaza Strip and involvement in Hamas operations in the West Bank.
Hayya’s platform is based on maintaining the current status quo of Hamas’s strategy, which includes “armed confrontation with Israel in the Gaza Strip until the war ends and the Israeli army completely withdraws,” the news agency said.
In contrast, Mashaal is reportedly leaning toward a path based on trying to distance Hamas from Iranian influence, strengthening ties with more moderate Arab nations, and continuing to participate in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Gaza.
Hayya and Mashaal were two of the three Hamas terror leaders targeted by an unsuccessful Israeli assassination attempt in Doha in early September.
latest_posts
- 1
The most effective method to Guarantee Thorough Inclusion in Senior Protection. - 2Miley Cyrus details her fear of paper, says fiancé Maxx Morando opens their packages outside: 'That's really why I got engaged'
- 3From record warming to rusting rivers, 2025 Arctic Report Card shows a region transforming faster than expected
- 4Grasping Wrongdoings and Crimes: A Correlation
- 56 Top Computer game Control center
- Africa's energy giants eye long-term gains on Iran war disruption
- 1,000-mile Saharan dust storm, from the sky and from the ground
- Step by step instructions to Pick the Right Dental specialist for Your Dental Inserts Technique
- New movies to watch this weekend: See 'Predator: Badlands' in theaters, rent 'Black Phone 2,' stream Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein' on Netflix
- Figure out How to Establish a long term connection with Your Handshake
- Lilly becomes first healthcare firm to join trillion-dollar club, Wall Street reacts
- Abbott issues US device correction for some glucose monitors over faulty readings risk
- 4 well known subjects in school
- Qatar LNG Ships U-Turn After Attempt to Pass Through Hormuz
