• Source:JND
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Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas, was killed in an assassination by Israel on Wednesday morning. Ismail Haniyeh reportedly died in an airstrike carried out by the Israeli army IDF in Tehran, Iran. With the Hamas chief being killed, speculations have started about the new chief of Hamas. The name of Khaled Mashal's name is at the forefront of the post.

According to the Times of Israel, Palestinian organisations expert Hani al-Masri said that senior official and former leader Khaled Mashaal's name is now at the forefront of becoming Hamas chief. At the same time, Khalil al-Hayya, a powerful person in Hamas who was close to Haniyya, is also in the race.

Netanyahu Took Revenge

It is believed that killing Haniyeh is Netanyahu's revenge after the major attack on southern Israel on October 7 last year. Netanyahu has been under pressure since the war started in Gaza about 10 months ago.

Israel Tried To Kill Meshaal By Poisoning Him

According to news agency Reuters, Khaled Meshaal is being considered as the new leader of Hamas. Meshaal's name became famous all over the world in the year 1997 when Israeli agents injected poison into him in a failed attempt to assassinate him on the street outside his office in Amman, the capital of Jordan.

Meshaal Played A Major Role In Formation Of Hamas

Khaled Meshaal has spent most of his life outside the Palestinian territories since joining the Muslim Brotherhood at the age of 15. The Brotherhood, based in Silwad, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, played a key role in the formation of Hamas during the first Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in the late 1980s.

He became a school teacher before spending several years lobbying for Hamas from abroad, while other group leaders were held in Israeli prisons for long periods. He was in charge of international fundraising in Jordan when he narrowly escaped assassination.

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Meshaal's Relations With Iran Are Strained

According to news agency Reuters, Hamas sources said Meshaal is expected to be elected as the group's supreme leader to replace Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran on Wednesday morning, following which Tehran and Hamas have vowed retribution against Israel.

Meshaal's relations with Iran have been strained due to his past support for the Sunni Muslim-led uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2011.

Khalil Al-Hayya Also In Race

Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official based in Qatar who led Hamas negotiators in indirect Gaza ceasefire talks with Israel, is also in the running to become Hamas chief. Khalil is a favourite of Iran and its allies in the country.