Hamas Implements Committee-Based Leadership Structure

Following the death of its leader Yahya Sinwar, Hamas has decided to implement a committee-based leadership structure rather than appoint a single successor. The five-member Doha-based ruling committee, initially formed in August after the assassination of political leader Ismail Haniyeh, includes representatives for Gaza, the West Bank, and Palestinians abroad, and will govern until the next elections scheduled for March, should conditions allow. The members, including Khalil al-Hayya, Zaher Jabarin, and Khaled Meshaal, are all currently based in Qatar. This move comes amid a leadership vacuum following the deaths of Sinwar and Haniyeh and during ongoing hostilities with Israel. The committee is tasked with making strategic decisions for the group’s operations during these turbulent times.