Who could be the new leader of Hamas?

(CLO) Hamas may appoint a new leader from outside Gaza to replace Yahya Sinwar, the group's leader recently killed by Israel.

Following Sinwar's death, leadership of Hamas in Gaza was temporarily transferred to his deputy, Khalil Al-Hayya, a Qatari national.

Hayya, considered a potential successor, issued a defiant statement on October 18th, declaring that Israeli hostages would not be released until Israeli troops withdrew from Gaza and the conflict ended.

Former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal speaks in an interview with Reuters in Doha, Qatar, on October 5. Photo: Reuters

After a leader dies, Hamas typically appoints a replacement quickly, with the Shura Council being the top decision-making body. The council represents all Hamas members in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Israeli prisons, and the Palestinian exile community.

According to analysts and sources within Hamas, besides Hayya, Hamas's chief negotiator, other leading candidates are Khaled Meshaal, Ismail Haniyeh's predecessor, and Mohammad Darwish, chairman of the Shura Council.

In leadership discussions, Hamas must consider not only the opinion of its main backer – Iran – but also the interests of the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar, where all the leading candidates for the politburo leadership position currently reside.

The organization's previous leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Iran in July. When Sinwar replaced him, he consolidated both military and political leadership in Gaza, but this time that seems unlikely to happen again.

Ashraf Abouelhoul, an expert on Palestinian affairs, predicts there will be two successors to Sinwar, each with a different role: one to oversee military affairs and the other to run the political office, responsible for international relations and policy-making.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/thu-linh-moi-cua-hamas-co-the-la-ai-post317523.html