GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – The Islamic militant group Hamas held a leadership election in its fortress in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, a race with profound implications for its relations with Israel and other regional actors, as well as the next Palestinian elections.
A Hamas official said the camp was reduced to a heated dispute between Yehiyeh Sinwar, the group’s current incendiary leader, and Nizar Awadallah, one of the movement’s founders. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing the secret group’s internal deliberations.
The Gaza Strip is Hamas’ most important area of activity. The Islamic group, which opposes the existence of Israel, violently snatched control of the territory of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority in 2007.
Since then, it has waged three wars and numerous skirmishes against Israel, remaining in power despite the Israeli-Egyptian blockade that devastated the economy.
Sinwar is a former member of the group’s militant wing who spent more than two decades in an Israeli prison after being convicted of the murder of two Israelis. He was released in a prisoner exchange in 2011. Sinwar maintains close ties to the militant wing and has always promoted a confrontational approach with Israel.
Awadallah was one of the founders of Hamas in the late 1980s and has closer ties to the group’s political leaders. But little is known about their positions on key issues.
The race for Hamas’ leadership takes place before the Palestinian parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for May and July. It was not clear what effect this would have.
Tuesday’s election could also have profound repercussions on Hamas’ negotiations with Israel, as well as with other regional powers.
The group is divided into rival fields. One is loyal to Israel’s archenemy, Iran, and favors continued military clashes with Israel. The other course, supported by regional players Turkey and Qatar, favors a more pragmatic approach in hopes of easing the blockade.
The election of Gaza is part of a broader process of choosing the group’s Politburo, or central decision-making body. This process started in February and should be completed by the end of the month.
The group’s supreme leader is Ismail Haniyeh, a former Gaza leader who has lived in exile in Qatar and Turkey for the past two years.