Hamas Leaders Meet in Turkey to Choose New Political Bureau Chief

Hamas officials are set to hold a crucial meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, within the next few days to elect a new head of the organization’s political bureau. The contest is narrowed to two candidates: Khaled Mashal, who heads Hamas abroad, and Khalil al‑Hayya, the Gaza‑based leader.

The gathering will also address internal programs, cease‑fire negotiations and the procedural shift to give full authority to a single bureau chief instead of the broader leadership council. Hamas has prepared voting arrangements for members overseas and for those in Gaza, where previous internal elections failed to reach the required quorum, prompting a second round announced in May.

The Istanbul session is expected to conclude with a full council meeting on Tuesday to discuss the agenda, or a brief meeting on Wednesday for a vote on the new bureau chief, consolidating Hamas’s leadership structure ahead of ongoing regional developments.