Hamas Enters Final Stage of Choosing New Leader
The official said Hamas has finalized the formation of a new Shura Council — its consultative body primarily made up of religious scholars — along with a newly constituted political bureau.
The leadership overhaul comes after Israeli operations in Gaza, launched following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, resulted in the deaths of several senior figures, including two former chiefs.
"The movement has completed its internal elections in the three regions and has reached the final stage of selecting the head of the political bureau," the official said, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly.
He added that Khaled Meshaal and Khalil Al Hayya are the remaining contenders for the leadership role. A second source within Hamas confirmed that the selection process has reached this advanced phase.
Under the movement’s internal system, representatives from its three branches — Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and its external leadership — elect members of the Shura Council every four years. Hamas prisoners held in Israeli jails are also eligible to participate in the vote. The council then chooses the political bureau, which ultimately appoints the movement’s chief.
A third source stated that the incoming leader will serve for only "one year... a transitional period". Thousands of members participated in the voting process to form the council and political bureau, though details of how the ballots were conducted were not disclosed.
"The primary goal of the process was to renew internal legitimacy and fill leadership vacancies," the source added.
Despite a US-mediated ceasefire entering its second phase last month, clashes persist in Gaza, with both Israel and Hamas accusing each other of breaching the agreement.
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