Hamas says Khalil al-Hayya elected as group's new chief

Hamas said on Monday that it has chosen Khalil al-Hayya, its chief negotiator in indirect ceasefire talks with Israel, to lead the group’s political bureau, replacing Yahya al-Sinwar.

In a statement, the Palestinian militant group said it had elected “brother mujahid Khalil al-Hayya” as head of the political bureau, succeeding what it described as the “martyred leader” Sinwar. Hamas has been operating under a five-member leadership council since Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year, according to the feed report.

A senior Hamas official told AFP that al-Hayya won by an “overwhelming majority” and is expected to formally take up the post next week. The official also said the political bureau is due to meet in Istanbul within days to set up committees and begin restructuring the group’s leadership bodies. According to the same account, the current leadership council will be dissolved and its members will submit resignations to Hamas’s Shura Council.

The source material said the selection process was conducted under strict secrecy because of the security situation and the Israeli campaign against Hamas leaders. Representatives of the group’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, also expressed “full support” for al-Hayya.

Born in 1960, al-Hayya is a veteran Hamas figure from the Gaza Strip who has long been involved in efforts to negotiate truces with Israel. The feed says he played a key role in ending the 2014 conflict and has remained active in attempts to secure an end to the current Gaza war. He has also been regarded as having strong ties with Iran.

Al-Hayya has been part of Hamas since the movement was founded in 1987 and earlier joined the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement from which Hamas emerged, according to the report. He spent years in Gaza, where he was detained several times by Israel. The feed also noted that he survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Doha last year, though one of his sons was killed in the strike.

The report said al-Hayya defeated Khaled Meshaal, a former Hamas chief and veteran leader, in the internal contest. It also noted that he has lost several close relatives, including his eldest son, in Israeli strikes in Gaza over the years.

This article is based on a monitored public feed. Source attribution: Dawn World. Source: Dawn World - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017031/hamas-says-khalil-al-hayya-elected-as-groups-new-chief