rki.news | Sources: Xinhua
GAZA, July 20: Hamas announced on Monday the election of Khalil al Hayya as the new head of its political bureau, succeeding the late Yahya Sinwar.
The movement confirmed the leadership appointment in a brief statement without providing details of the voting process. The election follows the deaths of several senior Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, during Israeli military operations, leaving a leadership vacuum within the organization.
A Hamas source said the election was conducted in stages across the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the movement’s branches abroad under exceptional circumstances. Members of the movement’s Shura Council, comprising about 50 representatives from different regions, participated in the process.
The source added that an initial voting round held in mid-May failed to produce a decisive outcome, leading to a second round. The leadership transition is viewed as part of Hamas’s efforts to reorganize its structure and define its strategy amid the continuing conflict in Gaza.