• Source:JND

Hamas is all set to pick its new leader with Khaled Meshaal and Khalil al-Hayya as the two main contenders for the post, a senior Hamas official told AFP, adding that a new Shoura Council has been formed which comprises religious scholars and a new political bureau.The Council is a consultative body whose members are elected by representatives from three branches of Hamas - Gaza Strip, West Bank, and external leadership. The election happens every four years. The Council is then responsible for selecting the political bureau which then picks the head of the movement.

In May 2025, Mohammad Sinwar, Hamas’s Gaza chief and one of Israel’s most wanted terrorists was been eliminated by Israel. The announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came during a session in the Knesset, where he read a list of senior Hamas figures killed by Israeli forces. "We eliminated Mohammad Sinwar," he stated, referring to the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7, 2024, attacks.

Khaled Meshaal, Khalil al-Hayya Are The Frontrunners

As per the official who spoke on condition of anonymity, Hamas has finished the process for its internal elections and is now on its way to pick the head of the political bureau. As per the official, the frontrunners for the leadership are - Khaled Meshaal and Khalil al-Hayya.

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Who Is Khalil al-Hayya

65-year-old Khalil al-Hayya was the main person from the Hamas side during the ceasefire talks. As per the US-based NGO the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), he is a native of Gaza and is a senior leader of the group. He has served in multiple important roles since 2006.

Who Is Khaled Meshaal

Khaled Meshaal was born in the West Bank in 1956 and became involved with Hamas while living in Kuwait. Over the years, he resided in Jordan, Syria and Qatar, but never in Gaza. Between 2004 and 2017, he served as head of Hamas’ political bureau and is widely seen as a key figure in shaping Hamas into a political military hybrid, according to CEP. He now oversees the movement’s office responsible for diaspora affairs.

Hayya is reported to have strong support from Hamas’ armed faction, the Ezzedine Al-Qassem Brigades.

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In January this year, Faisal Nadeem, a commander of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), widely known as the political front of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), publicly confirmed that he met senior Hamas leaders in Qatar's Doha in 2024, according to a video accessed by Times Now. In the footage, Nadeem said he was accompanied by Saifullah Kasuri during the meeting with Hamas leader Khaled Mashal. For context: Both LeT and Hamas are listed as terrorist groups by the United States and any coordination between them could have serious regional and international security implications.


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