Gaza city: Haniyeh has been elected as the new head of Hamas’ political bureau. The Islamic Resistance Movement, commonly known as Hamas, has announced the election of Khalil al-Hayya to lead its political bureau. This decision comes after the movement signaled mid-May that an election would be conducted to appoint a successor for Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in October 2014.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the election process was extended to a second round as the decision was not finalized in the initial voting. This approach aligns with Hamas’ established bylaws and regulations. The leadership transition follows the assassination of the former political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in July 2014. After Haniyeh’s assassination, Yahya Sinwar took over the leadership until his death during a clash with Israeli forces in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip.