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
25 Most Beautiful Villages in France You Can Actually Visit - 2IDF confirms Iranian missile fragments hit near Kirya, multiple cars ablaze in Ramat Gan
- 3Cyclone Narelle turns Australian skies blood red in ‘apocalyptic’ scenes
- 4FDA updates risk classification for voluntary shredded cheese recall
- 5Why haven’t humans been back to the moon in over 50 years?
- 4 well known subjects in school
- Europe picks companies to help build Argonaut moon lander
- NASA’s Pandora telescope will study stars in detail to learn about the exoplanets orbiting them
- What to know about the hepatitis B shot — and why Trump officials are targeting it
- Andrew McCarthy's awe-inspiring image of a skydiver in front of the sun
- Virtual reality opens doors for older people to build closer connections in real life
- Find Wonderful Stream Voyage Objections On the planet
- Whale stranded off Germany for days found stuck again
- Find the Advantages of Deep rooted Getting the hang of: Extending Information and Self-awareness
