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Hamas Holds Vote to Choose New Interim Leader, Source Tells BBC

12 hours ago
in Middle East, Politics, World News
Hamas interim leader vote
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Published: 22 February 2026, The English Chronicle Desk, The English Chronicle Online

Hamas is holding an internal election to choose a new interim leader, senior sources have told the BBC, in a significant development for one of the Middle East’s most prominent armed groups. The vote comes after the deaths of many of its previous top commanders in Israeli strikes during and after the conflict triggered on 7 October 2023, when Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people in Israel and took hostages, according to official figures.

The vote is reportedly taking place across Gaza, the occupied West Bank and among Hamas members abroad, with the outcome expected to influence the movement’s future direction. The new interim leader is expected to serve for a one-year term while Hamas continues to navigate intense international pressure, ongoing cease-fire negotiations and debates about Gaza’s post-war governance.

Under Hamas’s internal rules, the head of the organisation is selected by an electoral college made up of around 86 senior members of its General Shura Council — the group’s top decision-making body representing different regions and its global network. Many of the group’s political and military elites have been killed over recent years, including Yahya Sinwar in October 2024 and Ismail Haniyeh in July 2024, leaving leadership spaces to be filled.

Among the names thought to be in contention are Khalil al-Hayya, a senior figure in Gaza closely aligned with Sinwar’s and Haniyeh’s faction, and Khaled Mashaal, a veteran leader in exile who previously led Hamas’s political bureau for nearly two decades. Al-Hayya is known for his influence within Gaza, while Mashaal retains support from parts of the movement abroad.

The leadership vote takes place amid broader international efforts — led by the United States and regional mediators — to define a future governance role for Gaza. Under a proposed cease-fire plan discussed by US negotiators, Hamas would not play a formal part in the territory’s administration once long-term reconstruction and reforms are underway.

The English Chronicle will continue to monitor this evolving situation, including the announcement of the new interim leader and potential implications for Gaza’s political landscape and regional diplomacy.

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