Overview
- An official says Hamas has finished its internal votes and entered the final stage of selecting the head of its political bureau.
- Hamas has formed a new Shura Council of more than 80 members and an 18-member political bureau to restore internal legitimacy.
- Khaled Meshaal and Khalil al-Hayya are the finalists, reflecting competing visions of political evolution versus preserving armed capacity.
- Multiple Hamas sources say the new chief will serve for only one year in a transitional role.
- The next leader must contend with U.S.- and Israeli-led demands for disarmament under the current ceasefire, Israeli warnings of renewed military action, and a Gaza administration run day to day by a technocratic committee.