Hamas is pressing ahead with efforts to elect a new political bureau chief despite ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations and continued Israeli military operations, a move that officials say is intended to project internal unity and respond to recommendations from outside parties close to the movement.
The push comes after a first round of voting in May failed to produce a winner between the two leading contenders: Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas’s leadership council, and Khaled Meshaal, the veteran leader of the movement’s overseas branch.
Sources within Hamas said the accelerated election process is driven by several factors, including a desire to project internal consensus and recommendations from outside parties close to the movement.
Under Hamas regulations, the new leader would initially serve a short term lasting until early next year, with the possibility of an extension until broader internal elections are completed.
A senior Hamas official based outside the Palestinian territories said electing a political bureau chief is necessary to ensure stability within the movement. He noted that the leadership council had originally been expected to continue managing Hamas’s affairs until the next internal elections, but several developments prompted a decision to fast-track the selection of a new leader.
Among those factors, the official said, is the need to make both internal and external decisions while demonstrating unity to observers, supporters and Hamas’ broader constituency. “There is a need to show that capable leaders are in place to guide the movement through this critical period,” he said.
The official added that several outside actors with close ties to Hamas have encouraged the movement to appoint a clearly identifiable leader, arguing that such a step is politically important. He declined to identify those parties.
For roughly the past year and a half, Hamas has been run by a leadership council headed by Mohammed Darwish, chairman of the movement’s Shura Council. The body includes leaders representing Gaza, the West Bank and Hamas’s overseas branches, as well as the movement’s secretary-general.
Another source said Darwish himself pushed for the election process to resume in order to fill the leadership vacancy. While he has effectively represented the movement through the leadership council, he is expected to return to his previous role as head of the Shura Council once a new chief is chosen.
The source noted that a combination of personal considerations and organizational concerns, both internal and external, contributed to Darwish’s support for holding the election.
Asked whether Darwish may be seeking to avoid responsibility for major decisions expected in the coming months — particularly as ceasefire negotiations enter a sensitive phase involving the future of Hamas’s weapons — the source rejected the notion.
“Such decisions are not made by one person, even if that person is the head of the political bureau,” the source underlined. “All major decisions are reached through consensus within the political bureau and the movement’s executive bodies.”
While emphasizing that responsibility for consequential decisions is collective, the source acknowledged that the movement’s leader still plays an important role during pivotal moments.
Military Wing Backed Vote
Three Hamas sources in Gaza said the push to elect a political bureau chief was strongly supported by both the movement’s Gaza leadership and its military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, even before the killings of senior commanders Izz al-Din al-Haddad and Mohammed Awda.
One source said al-Haddad believed Hamas needed a clearly defined leader under current circumstances and that other Qassam commanders shared that view. He also participated in the most recent round of voting.
The assassination campaign targeting Hamas and Qassam leaders in Gaza temporarily interrupted the election process. According to one source, the vote was postponed to allow the military wing to reorganize its leadership structure and ensure that both military and political leaders in Gaza could participate securely.
The sources said electing an overall movement leader would also give Hamas’ three regional branches — Gaza, the West Bank and the external leadership — greater flexibility in managing their own affairs. The winner of the race, either al-Hayya or Meshaal, would vacate his current regional leadership post, creating an opportunity for a new figure to assume responsibility for either Gaza or Hamas’ overseas organization.
