Hamas failed to elect a new political leader, the terror group announced on Saturday night, promising another round of elections would soon take place.
The current race will likely position either Hamas leader abroad, Khaled Mashaal, or senior Hamas politician Khalil al-Hayya as Hamas’s new leader.
The failed process comes as Hamas attempts to reassemble some level of order after much of its senior leadership was assassinated during the most recent war with Israel. Since former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in October 2024, there has been no permanent head of the organization’s political wing.
Israeli assassinations forced restructure
Hamas media advisor Taher al-Nunu told Al Jazeera that Israeli assassinations had forced the group to restructure, and relevant vacancies would be filled according to the "consultative mechanism and silent elections.”
"The nature of elections within Hamas is not based on individual candidacy, but rather all members of the council concerned are considered candidates, while the final decision rests with the will of the voters," he said, adding that multiple leadership positions have already been decided and will soon be announced by the relevant persons.
Hayya, based in Qatar, was responsible for negotiating a ceasefire and hostage releases after the terror group’s October 7, 2023, invasion, which launched the territory into the two-year war. He was also reported to have had a close relationship with Sinwar. Having lost multiple of his sons in the recent war, Arab supporters consider him a favorite.
Mashaal, born in the West Bank, is considered the less hawkish option as he is reportedly more willing to work with the Palestinian Authority.
Elections crucial for direction of Palestinians
Dr. Harel Chorev, a senior researcher at the Moshe Dayan Center and a historian of the Middle East specializing in the social and political history of the Palestinians, explained to The Jerusalem Post that the elections would be crucial in deciding the direction of the Palestinian people.
For the first time since 2017, he explained, the power distribution in Hamas is being shifted from the military wing to the political wing. Helped by the fact that very little of Hamas’s original leadership is left alive, especially after the IDF assassinated Izz al-Din al-Haddad on Monday, there is an opportunity for Hamas to take a less militaristic direction depending on the results of the election.
Stressing that both Mashal and Haya are dedicated to Israel’s destruction, he noted that Haya was more aligned with Iran and wanted to see Gaza continue in the direction it has been going, while Mashal envisioned more diplomatic attacks on Israel.
The election is also a further indication that Hamas is reorganizing and therefore rebuilding, he continued, adding that their continued refusal to disarm was another sign of that mentality. Such efforts will significantly delay funds to rebuild Gaza, as no Arab or Gulf states would be willing to burn through their own money to see the pockets of Hamas lined.
Chorev stressed that Hamas would only accept defeat with the pressure of IDF tanks closing in on them, and it was Israel’s responsibility to ensure they understood “What was allowed until October 6, will never be allowed again after October 7.”