Hamas postpones election of its political bureau head until further notice

Leading sources within the Hamas movement revealed that the movement decided to postpone the election of its general political bureau head, which was scheduled to take place during the first ten days of January.

Sources said that the postponement of this step was until further notice, explaining that "a new date has not been set, but elections could be held at any moment."

One source attributed the postponement to "security and political circumstances and the movement's current preoccupation with negotiations for the transition to the second phase of the ceasefire, with the accelerating momentum currently underway by mediators and the United States."

However, other sources explained that "there are additional reasons, including the disagreement over the arrangements taking place within the movement in the Gaza Strip, which have increased in recent days, and which efforts are being made to resolve."

Hamas is facing its most severe crisis since its establishment in 1987; Israeli targeting, which began after the October 7, 2023 attack, has affected its various wings and levels, causing several organizational and financial crises.

Sources indicate that the accelerating momentum regarding the possibility of transitioning to the second phase largely overshadows the leadership's attention at present, noting that the process of electing a new head for the political bureau will be an important step in rearranging the movement's internal affairs, but this process may take longer than expected.

Sources had stated days ago that the elections would take place within the first 10 days of the new year, explaining that the goal of these elections was to achieve more stability and reassurance within the movement, and to send a clear message to the outside world that it remains cohesive.

The sources then mentioned that the election of a head for the political bureau would not end the role of the current leadership council, which was formed to lead the movement after the assassinations of Haniyeh and Sinwar, noting that it would be considered an advisory council that follows all Hamas issues internally and externally, and consultations would take place among its members regarding the fate of those issues.

In response to a question about whether there were internal disagreements over the personality of the president to be elected to lead Hamas, one source merely said that "the election process is conducted according to the applicable laws and regulations, and there are no disagreements regarding the personality who will lead the movement."

Estimates indicate that Khaled Meshaal, head of the political bureau abroad, and Khalil al-Hayya, head of the political bureau in Gaza, are the most prominent figures for potentially assuming the presidency of the political bureau.

Some sources say that there is strong support within the movement's leadership abroad and in the West Bank for Meshaal to be the head of the movement, while in the Gaza Strip, the majority prefer al-Hayya to take responsibility for leading the movement.

However, sources did not rule out that "a third, unspecified personality might emerge," and one source said: "Nothing can be predicted at the moment, and what is happening cannot be considered a competition due to disagreements over who will be the head of the movement, but it can be described as a (benign competitive process)."

Regarding the disagreements about what is happening in Gaza, sources explained that there are attempts to resolve them, noting that "there is a great deal of objection from most leadership levels, including administrative bodies and others, to the recent internal arrangements."

Sources from Hamas had said days ago, "that a series of leadership changes occurred in the Gaza Strip, after the assassinations of its leaders during the two-year Israeli war, which led to a greater presence of those close to the former movement leader Yahya Sinwar, who was suddenly killed in clashes with an Israeli force in Rafah in October 2024."

According to those sources, the released prisoner Ali al-Amoudi, a member of the political bureau and responsible for the movement's media department before the war, has become the acting head of its political bureau in the Gaza Strip, after he and many of Sinwar's close associates were tasked with managing the movement in the Strip, most of whom reside in Khan Yunis in the southern part of the Strip.