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 who was recently assassinated by Israel.

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

Hayya, who is seen as a potential successor, issued a defiant statement on October 18 that the Israeli hostages would not be released until the Israeli army withdrew from Gaza and the conflict ended.

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

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

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

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

The group's previous head, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Iran in July. When Sinwar replaced him, he merged both the military and political leadership in Gaza, but this time that seems unlikely.

Ashraf Abouelhoul, an expert on Palestinian affairs, predicts there will be two successors to Sinwar in two different roles, one overseeing military affairs and the other running the political office, responsible for international relations and shaping policy.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)

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