Hamas is holding a run-off election next week to choose its top political leader, and the race is between two men: Khaled Meshaal, who previously ran Hamas's political wing from 2004 to 2017, and Khalil al-Hayya, a senior figure deeply involved in ceasefire talks with Israel. The news comes from Hamas sources cited by Al Jazeera on July 16, 2026.

Neither man won more than half the votes in the earlier rounds of voting by Hamas's Shura Council, which is the group's internal decision-making body. When no one crosses that 50-percent threshold, Hamas's rules call for a run-off between the two top candidates. A second Hamas source told Al Jazeera that the dangers of the ongoing war made it impossible to hold the movement's usual broad voting process, so a smaller group is participating this time. The same sources said reports of Hamas switching to a hidden or shared leadership were wrong, and that the new chief will be publicly named once the votes are finalised.

The winner will replace a temporary council that has been running Hamas since Yahya Sinwar was killed in Gaza in October 2024. The new leader will serve until new elections in 2027. Reuters had reported on October 18, 2024 that Hamas would likely pick a leader based outside Gaza, and that prediction is now playing out: both candidates operate from outside the Strip, though from different power bases.

Meshaal led Hamas for thirteen years, according to Reuters. He was re-elected as the movement's leader abroad as of July 13, 2026, taking over from Saleh al-Arouri, who was assassinated in January 2024, JNS reported. Al-Hayya was named Hamas leader in Gaza as of mid-July 2026 and is based in Qatar, where he has been seen as Hamas's most influential figure abroad since Ismail Haniyeh's death, per Reuters. He previously served as Sinwar's deputy and led Hamas's team in indirect ceasefire negotiations with Israel.

Reuters named both men as frontrunners as early as January 13, 2026, in what would be Hamas's first leadership election since Sinwar was killed. The process has taken a long time. Asharq Al-Awsat reported on June 16, 2026 that a "blank ballot" round happened during the voting before the run-off was triggered, and that under Hamas rules the run-off was expected within 20 days of that inconclusive round.

A Hamas source told Al Jazeera that if al-Hayya does not win the top job, he is expected to become deputy chief instead. That follows a 2021 rule requiring someone from Gaza in the movement's top two leadership positions. This means even the losing candidate may land a senior role, making sure Gaza stays represented no matter who wins.

Both sources confirmed that full elections across all three regions where Hamas operates — Gaza, the West Bank, and the diaspora (Palestinians living outside the occupied territories) — are scheduled to begin next year, if security conditions allow. The current smaller process is explicitly described as a temporary measure forced by wartime conditions, not a permanent change to how Hamas makes decisions.

The broader context here is that Israel has killed several Hamas leaders in targeted strikes — Sinwar, Haniyeh, and al-Arouri — which has thinned the group's senior ranks and pushed its internal discussions into a smaller circle. The choice between Meshaal and al-Hayya is about more than personality. Meshaal, based in Damascus and later Doha during his long tenure, offers continuity with Hamas's external political work and its ties to regional governments. Al-Hayya, deeply involved in both Gaza's leadership and the ceasefire talks, brings a more hands-on profile shaped by the war that began in October 2023.

Whoever wins will lead a movement under intense military and political pressure. Its ability to govern in Gaza has been weakened, the hostage negotiations it is tied to remain the subject of ongoing mediation, and its standing in the region is uncertain. The decision to publicly announce the result — rather than keep the leader's identity hidden, which the sources said would not happen — will also send a message to outside actors like Israel, Egypt, Qatar, and other Palestinian groups about how Hamas plans to operate in the next phase of the conflict and any political talks that follow.