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Hamas elects Khalil al-Hayya head by 35-34 vote over Khaled Meshaal
Khalil al-Hayya defeated Khaled Meshaal on July 21 to become head of Hamas. The one-vote outcome ended nearly two years of collective leadership by a five-person council.
Jul 21, 7:24 AM·1m read2 sources
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Khalil al-Hayya was elected head of Hamas on July 21 by a 35-34 margin over Khaled Meshaal, ending a nearly two-year period of collective leadership by a five-person council that had included the former deputy to Yahya Sinwar in Gaza. The narrow result reflects internal divisions over Hamas's relationship with Iran.
Al-Hayya, a Gaza-based figure aligned with the pro-Iran current, defeated Meshaal who represented a different stream during his earlier tenure.
Hamas was founded in December 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Abdulaziz al-Rantissi, Salah Shihada, Abdulfattah Dukhan, Muhammad Sham’ah, Ibrahim al-Yazuri and Issa al-Nashar. Leadership later moved from Gaza to the diaspora. Mousa Abu Marzouk headed the political bureau after relocating to Jordan and was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1995.
Meshaal succeeded him and served until 2017. Hamas was expelled from Jordan in the late 1990s and maintained its leadership in Damascus for 11 years before moving to Doha during the Arab Spring. Ismail Haniyeh succeeded Meshaal as head of the political bureau.
Iran supplied financial and military assistance during the Meshaal period, though the group retained some independence. Hamas left Damascus rather than back the Syrian government during the Arab Spring, creating a lasting internal rift. Al-Hayya now faces the task of reconciling rival currents while preserving the movement’s independence.
