Two Hamas sources have indicated that the group is moving towards establishing a ruling committee based in Doha, rather than appointing a direct successor to its slain chief, Yahya Sinwar. This decision comes in light of the upcoming elections scheduled for March, contingent on prevailing conditions.
A five-member committee, formed in August after the assassination of political chief Ismail Haniyeh, will now lead the group. This committee includes representatives from Gaza, the West Bank, and the Palestinian diaspora, featuring Khalil al-Hayya for Gaza, Zaher Jabarin for the West Bank, and Khaled Meshaal for those abroad, along with Mohammed Darwish and an unnamed secretary from the political bureau for security reasons.
This committee is expected to govern during wartime and is empowered to make strategic decisions. While there was discussion of appointing a political chief, the leadership opted for governance through the committee instead. Sinwar was killed by Israeli troops during the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which escalated following Hamas’s attack on October 7.
