They appear to have developed a tense battle for political leadership in the Gaza Strip at Tuesday’s internal elections held by terrorist group Hamas.
Hamas is holding elections this week to elect the head of their Gaza political branch – the group’s de facto leader is in Palestinian circulation, sources from within the terrorist group have said.
While five candidates are contesting the election, the main battle appears to be between current political leader Yahya Sinwar and his main rival Nizar Awadallah.
At this point, it appears that no candidate received more than 50% of the votes and preparations have begun for the second round of voting between Sinwar and Awadallah.
Lebanese TV channel Al-Mayadeen reported that Awadallah was leading Sinwar by seven votes after the first round of voting.
Sinwar was a deputy commander of the Hamas military branch that spent more than two decades in an Israeli prison before being released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange. Meanwhile, Awadallah is deputy head of Hamas advisory council in Shura.
Hamas sources, who requested anonymity, said the result was announced “next week”.
Sinwar was elected to the post in 2017.
The census comes ahead of the May 22 Palestinian legislative elections, the first such vote in 15 years. Hamas is a key player in that vote, along with the Fatah movement – led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas – that will control the West Bank.
Elections within Hamas are generally reduced in secrecy but some leaders in the Islamist group have called for more clarity.
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Hamas chief executive in the Gaza Strip Ismail Haniya (C) waving the Palestinian flag during a rally in Gaza C
(Photo: AFP)
The full leader of the Hamas political wing, Ismail Haniyeh, is currently based in Qatar.
Elections for that post are also expected soon, with Haniyeh set to run against his deputy Jamal al-Aruri and former Hamas leader Khaled Meshal.
In addition to its political wing, Hamas has an armed branch that counts thousands of fighters in Gaza.