Top contenders to head Hamas' political wing responsible for establishing ties and acquiring financial aid include the Islamic group's former leader Khaled Mashaal and top commander Yehiya Sinwar. For Israel, the upcoming vote will not change much, primarily because Hamas' goal will likely remain unaltered – the destruction of the Jewish state.
Hamas, the Islamic group that controls the Gaza Strip, is set to hold elections to the leadership of its political wing in the coming months, reports suggest.
The vote that takes place every four years and that's being held by the group's general Shura council is meant to man the Strip's number one post, responsible for Hamas' diplomatic ties with the outside world as well as the acquiring of funding and humanitarian assistance.
So far, Ismail Haniyeh, who has held the position since 2017, has managed to handle the Islamic group's political operations from Qatar and Turkey, where he is currently residing, and reports suggest that he might want to go back to the Strip after the vote, if he gets re-elected.
Tough Rivals
The only problem for him is that his victory is not guaranteed. The two people who are set to challenge him in the upcoming race are the man who used to lead Hamas' politburo in the past, Khaled Mashaal, and the man who is currently heading the Izz A-ddin Al Qassam brigades, the group's military branch – Yehiya Sinwar.
But not everyone agrees. In his article, Yoni Ben Menachem, one of Israel's leading experts on…
