Hamas Will Choose A Replacement For The Late Ismail Haniyeh In The Next Few Days, There Are Al-Hayya Names To Khalid Misyaal

Hamas illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Fars Media Corporation)

JAKARTA - A number of names are said to have the opportunity to become the Head of the Hamas Political Bureau, when the group is expected to announce a replacement for the late Ismail Haniyeh in the next few days.

The head of the Political Bureau of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh was confirmed by the group as he was killed in an attack on his stay in Tehran, Iran Wednesday morning last week.

Haniyeh was in Tehran to take part in the inauguration of the elected president Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday afternoon. Previously, he had met Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Pezeshkian on separate occasions before the inauguration.

Deputy Head of the Political Bureau of Hamas Khalil Al-Hayya as quoted by IRNA from Al Mayadeen on August 6 said, Hamas will remain every time to the Palestinian people, martyrs and Muslims by "continue to be on the path of struggle, jihad, and resistance," until the Palestinian liberation is achieved.

He said Haniyeh's martyrdom had "provided a new spirit, determination and strength for (the Palestinian people) and their resistance."

"He is a great leader and a devoted servant, a true hermit, to whom the doors of martyrdom and heaven are open, if Allah wishes it," said al-Hayya underlined.

He said Haniyeh's replacement would be determined in the next few days.

Previously, Hamas said it had started consultations to select a replacement for Haniyeh.

"After our leader died, the leaders of the movement have started a broad consultation process in its hierarchy and advisory agency to elect a new leader," Hamas said in a statement published on his social media accounts on Sunday, quoted by Al Jazeera.

The group said the results of the consultation would be announced as soon as completion.

Meanwhile, citing Asharq Al-Awsat, there are several potential candidates to occupy the positions of the Head of the Hamas Political Bureau, including Khalid Misyaal, Musa Abu Marzouk, Yahya Sinwar, Khalil Al-Hayya and Zaher Jabureen.

Sources of Asharq Al-Awsat stated that Misyaal is likely to be selected as the head of the movement to replace Haniyeh until the end of the war, perhaps before holding a definitive election.

According to these sources, the presence of prominent leaders from within movements abroad, particularly in Qatar, will help address the current crisis and try to accelerate the steps to elect the next candidate for leader.

Misyaal is a former Hamas leader who has lived in exile since 1967, moving from Jordan, Qatar, Syria and other countries.

He was elected head of the political bureau of the movement after Israel killed Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and his successor in the Palestinian territories, Abdulaziz Al-Rantisi.

Meanwhile, Middle Eastern observer Faisal Assegaf said that the candidate to replace Haniyeh could be Khalid Misyaal or Musa Abu Marzouk.

"Both of them have served as Head of the Hamas Political Bureau. The previous Hamas Political Bureau had an office in Amman (Yordania) and moved to Damascus (Suriah) in 1997, then to Doha (Qatar) in 2012," he said in a statement to VOI.

"The alternative is Khalil Al-Hayya if he is looking for an alternative person who has never served. He is now Haniyeh's deputy," he added.