Hamas is preparing to hold elections for a new head of the group’s political bureau, sources close to its leadership told Saudi-owned Asharq Al Awsat TV on Saturday.
According to the sources, the two leading candidates are Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas’s political bureau in the Gaza Strip, and Khaled Meshal, the movement’s former political bureau chief.
Al-Hayya is considered the frontrunner, with support both in Gaza and among senior Hamas figures in the West Bank, including political bureau member Zaher Jabareen, the sources said.
The elections are expected to take place in the coming days or weeks within Hamas’ Shura Council, which functions as the organization’s quasi-parliament and is responsible for selecting senior officials and members of the political bureau.
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Following Israel’s killing of Yahya Sinwar, a temporary leadership body was formed in May under the chairmanship of Shura Council head Ismail Darwish. The body included Meshal and al-Hayya, as well as Jabareen – who was part of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire negotiating team and is regarded as a representative of Palestinian prisoners – and political bureau member Nizar Awadallah.
With the end of the war, Hamas has decided to dissolve the interim body and elect a permanent leadership.
Sources within Hamas said the decision to hold elections is intended to signal that, despite the heavy blows it has suffered, the organization remains functional and continues to operate its institutions while reorganizing.
According to sources close to the movement, the election outcome is expected to shape Hamas’ political strategy in the coming years.
Al-Hayya is expected to maintain Hamas’ current course, which is based on armed confrontation with Israel aimed at securing a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Meshal, by contrast, is seen as favoring a strategy focused on achieving Israeli withdrawal through political agreements, reducing dependence on Iran, and strengthening ties with Arab states that are considered more moderate.
General elections for Hamas’ Shura Council, which has between 45 and 50 representatives, were originally scheduled for early 2025 but were postponed due to the war in Gaza.
Hamas has ruled out holding elections before a complete end to the fighting. Activists within the movement say organizing elections involving members in both the West Bank and Gaza presents significant organizational, logistical, and security challenges.
As a result, elections were not held in either territory, and replacements were appointed for members who were killed. In addition, several Shura Council members remain in hiding, under arrest or living abroad, including in Qatar, Turkey and Lebanon.