Hamas Leadership Elections End Without Victor

Hamas said Saturday night that it had failed to choose a new political leader in the first round of internal elections, leaving the terror group’s leadership race unresolved as it tries to rebuild after heavy losses in the war with Israel.

The group said a second round of voting would be held at a later date. The main contenders are believed to be Khaled Mashal, Hamas’s longtime leader abroad, and Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas political figure based in Qatar.

Hamas has not had a permanent political chief since Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israel in October 2024. The group’s leadership structure has been repeatedly disrupted by Israeli assassinations during the war, forcing Hamas to reorganize both its political and military command.

Hamas media adviser Taher al-Nunu told Al Jazeera that Israeli assassinations had forced the group to restructure and that vacant positions would be filled through what he called a “consultative mechanism and silent elections.”

“The nature of elections within Hamas is not based on individual candidacy,” he said, adding that all members of the relevant council are considered candidates and that the final decision rests with the voters. He said several leadership positions had already been decided and would be announced by the relevant officials.

Hayya played a central role in negotiations over ceasefire terms and hostage releases after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel, which launched the two-year war in Gaza. He was also considered close to Sinwar and has gained support among Hamas backers after several of his sons were killed during the war.

Mashal, who has long been one of Hamas’s most prominent figures abroad, remains a major contender and could represent a return to more established external leadership.

The unresolved vote comes as Hamas is also absorbing another major blow. On Saturday, the group confirmed that Izz al-Din al-Haddad, commander-in-chief of its armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Friday.

The IDF and Shin Bet also confirmed al-Haddad’s death, saying he was killed in the strike. Hamas said his wife and daughter were also killed. Hundreds attended his funeral in Gaza City, according to Palestinian reports.

Al-Haddad, known as the “Ghost of al-Qassam,” had survived several previous assassination attempts and was considered one of Israel’s most wanted Hamas commanders. His death is expected to affect Hamas’s field command, though the group has often moved quickly to replace senior military figures.

The leadership uncertainty comes as Hamas continues to reject disarmament demands under the ceasefire framework, while Israeli officials say it is rebuilding civilian control and military capabilities in Gaza.