Overview
- Sources cited by Saudi-owned Asharq report that Khalil al-Hayya and former chief Khaled Meshal are the leading contenders for the post.
- Al-Hayya is portrayed as the frontrunner with backing in Gaza and from senior West Bank figures such as Zaher Jabarin, according to those reports.
- The balloting is expected within days or weeks inside the roughly 45–50 member Shura Council, which selects senior officials and the political bureau.
- Hamas has dissolved the interim leadership chaired by Shura head Ismail Darwish and plans to install a permanent leadership, according to the reports relayed by Haaretz.
- Broader internal elections remain postponed because of the war and security constraints, while the choice between al-Hayya and Meshal is viewed as a decision between continued armed confrontation and a more diplomacy-focused approach with reduced reliance on Iran.