After Sinwar: Khalil al-Hayya Chosen to Lead Hamas

Hamas, the terrorist organization, announced today (Monday) that Khalil al-Hayya has been chosen for the role of head of the group’s political bureau, replacing Yahya Sinwar. The selection comes after a lengthy internal process conducted under a heavy veil of secrecy and with unusual security measures, against the backdrop of fears of Israeli intelligence infiltration and the ongoing blow to the organization’s senior leadership.

Official Hamas sources confirmed to the Saudi channel "Asharq" that members of the group’s General Shura Council began a secret, staged voting process on Shabbat, aimed at choosing Sinwar’s successor. According to those sources, the vote had been expected to conclude במהלך the coming week or, at the latest, within two weeks.

The race for leadership of the political bureau ultimately narrowed to two main candidates. On one side was Khalil al-Hayya, who effectively serves as the head of the movement in the Gaza Strip and leads Hamas’s negotiating delegation. Al-Hayya is considered Yahya Sinwar’s most prominent close associate and a strong ally of the Iranian axis, and he was ultimately chosen to lead the organization’s political bureau.

Running against him was Khaled Mashal, Hamas’s leader abroad, who previously headed the political bureau. Mashal is identified with a more independent line in relation to Tehran and is considered to have stronger ties to Qatar and Turkey.