Hamas’s new leader must bridge a movement divided over Iran

What the report says

Al Jazeera published an opinion piece by Palestinian British academic Azzam Tamimi saying Khalil al-Hayya’s election as Hamas’s new leader exposes a serious internal split over the movement’s relationship with Iran. The article reports that al-Hayya, a former deputy to Yahya Sinwar in Gaza and part of the five-member collective leadership formed after Sinwar was killed in October 2024, defeated former political bureau chief Khaled Meshaal by 35 votes to 34.

Tamimi frames the one-vote result as a sign that al-Hayya has gained the post without a broad mandate. He argues that the leadership contest reflects a longer struggle between currents inside Hamas: one more closely associated with Tehran and another linked to Meshaal that has tried to preserve greater independence while accepting outside support.

The piece traces Hamas’s evolution from its founding in Gaza in 1987 through the rise of external leadership structures in Jordan, Damascus and later Doha. It says the movement’s relationship with Iran deepened during its years in Damascus, but was strained after Hamas backed Arab Spring uprisings and refused to support the Syrian government during its crackdown. According to Tamimi, Iran later directed support toward factions it favored, increasing pressure on Meshaal’s camp.

The significance, as presented by Al Jazeera’s contributor, is that al-Hayya must now manage competing Gaza, West Bank and diaspora constituencies while avoiding the perception that Hamas is becoming subordinate to Tehran. The article suggests the narrow vote makes internal reconciliation a central test of his leadership.