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
‘And then we saw the little head.’ Scientists witness rare sperm whale birth - 2Hungary's 'water guardian' farmers fight back against desertification
- 3The Artemis II launch is tonight. Here's how to watch it live.
- 4David Duchovny's new thriller has him stripping down at 65. But its chilling premise hits close to home.
- 5Go on A Careful spending plan: Modest Objections for Your List of must-dos
- More people are addicted to marijuana, but fewer of them are seeking help, experts say
- 7 Fun Plans to Make Film Evenings Seriously Energizing (You'll Cherish #5!)
- FACT FOCUS: Trump sows confusion on number of childhood vaccinations
- Songbirds swap colorful plumage genes across species lines among their evolutionary neighbors
- IDF says up to 90% of Iran’s weapons industry could be hit within days
- Charlotte faith leaders hold interfaith forum on Black and Palestinian solidarity
- WHO issues guidance on GLP-1 drugs for obesity
- Trump announces 'Patriot Games' with 2 competitors from every state and territory: What we know
- The 15 Most Powerful Forerunners in Business
