Hamas to elect first leader since Sinwar killed by Israel, say sources

Hamas is expected to elect a new leader this month, two sources in the group told Reuters, filling the role left vacant since Israel killed Yahya Sinwar in 2024.

Khalil Al-Hayya and Khaled Meshaal are seen as frontrunners for the helm at a vital moment for the resistance group, battered by two years of war.

The election process has already begun, the sources said. The leader is chosen in a secret ballot by Hamas’s Shoura Council, a 50-member body that includes Hamas members in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and exile.

A Hamas spokesperson declined to comment. –Agencies