by Khaled Abu Toameh
Here is what the Trump administration needs to understand: Hamas, like ISIS, as a deeply committed terrorist organization, has no right to exist. Its military, civilian, and political infrastructure needs to be completely dismantled and destroyed. Unfortunately, this is the only way to achieve security and stability in the Middle East and prevent another October 7-style massacre against Israel.
[T]he Iran-backed Palestinian terror group Hamas is planning to elect a new leader for its political bureau and replace many of its members who were killed during the fighting with Israel. Hamas's goal: to show the world that it is not going anywhere; that it now, because it holds an internal election, should be considered a legitimate, respectable government, and that it solidly intends to maintain its control of the Gaza Strip, in violation of US President Donald J. Trump's 20-point peace plan.
The terror group has simply exploited Trump's ceasefire plan to rearm, regroup and consolidate its civilian and military control in areas of the Gaza Strip in which Israeli forces are not present since the ceasefire agreement took effect. For Hamas, Trump's plan is just another temporary ceasefire that allows it to entrench its position and restock its military capabilities.
"Hamas understood that overt control of the Strip would deter the international community from transferring the funds required for reconstruction, delay the rebuilding of the Strip and could spark civilian unrest, and therefore signaled its willingness to transfer the civilian administration to a Palestinian technocratic government, while refusing to disarm." — The Meir Amit Terrorism Information Center, November 3, 2025.
Here is what the Trump administration needs to understand: Hamas, like ISIS, as a deeply committed terrorist organization, has no right to exist. Its military, civilian, and political infrastructure needs to be completely dismantled and destroyed. Unfortunately, this is the only way to achieve security and stability in the Middle East and prevent another October 7-style massacre against Israel.
As part of its effort to emerge as a legitimate actor in the Palestinian arena in the aftermath of the war in the Gaza Strip, the Iran-backed Palestinian terror group Hamas is planning to elect a new leader for its political bureau and replace many of its members who were killed during the fighting with Israel. Hamas's goal: to show the world that it is not going anywhere; that it now, because it holds an internal election, should be considered a legitimate, respectable government, and that it solidly intends to maintain its control of the Gaza Strip, in violation of US President Donald J. Trump's 20-point peace plan.
According to a report in the Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq al-Awsat:
"Hamas is moving in the coming days to elect a new head of its political bureau, in an effort to fill a leadership vacuum left by the killing of its former chief, Yahya Sinwar, who died in October 2024 during clashes he fought alongside his fighters in the southern Gaza city of Rafah."
The newspaper quoted unnamed sources in Hamas as saying that the election for the group's political bureau chief would take place next week or within the first 10 days of January 2026.
"According to the sources, electing a new head of the political bureau aims to bolster internal stability and reassurance, and to send a clear message to the outside world world that the movement remains cohesive and retains a leadership cadre capability of managing all affairs and taking decisions by full consensus within the political bureau, as was the case before the assassinations carried out [by Israel] during the war....
"They noted that several members of the political bureau in Gaza have already been tasked with managing various portfolios. The sources said members of the political bureau killed by Israel inside Gaza have been temporarily replaced by others to carry out their duties."
The report comes as the US administration is preparing to implement the second phase of Trump's plan, which calls for replacing the Hamas government with a committee of independent Palestinian technocrats under the supervision of an international "Board of Peace" headed by the US president himself.
Hamas seems more concerned about electing new leaders than rebuilding the Gaza Strip. Moreover, it seems more concerned about filling vacant positions inside the Gaza Strip than stepping down and allowing other Palestinians or foreigners to manage the affairs of the Palestinians there.
By replacing members of its political bureau killed by Israel inside the Gaza Strip, Hamas is making it clear that it plans to stay in power and views itself as a lawful partner in any future administration.
Although Hamas officials have reportedly expressed readiness to hand over the Gaza Strip to a new committee of "apolitical figures," the terror group clearly has no intention of laying down its weapons or vanishing.
The leaders of Hamas feel safe holding elections because they are living comfortably in Qatar, which has long been a significant source of political and financial support for both the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.
After their October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel, in which more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were murdered, Hamas leaders should not be permitted to feel safe enough to even think about holding elections for their political bureau. They should not be allowed to think that because they are sitting in Qatar, they enjoy immunity and would never be held accountable for the worst massacre perpetrated against Jews since the Holocaust.
There is no future for the Gaza Strip so long as Hamas is standing on its feet. The terror group has simply exploited Trump's ceasefire plan to rearm, regroup and consolidate its civilian and military control in areas of the Gaza Strip in which Israeli forces are not present since the ceasefire agreement took effect. For Hamas, Trump's plan is just another temporary ceasefire that allows it to entrench its position and restock its military capabilities.
According to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center:
"[D]espite the severe blow to Hamas' civilian leadership and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip throughout the war, Hamas managed to quickly regain almost full control over the areas it held, activating government mechanisms and attempting to provide basic services, while also using force against the Gazans as a means of deterrence. Hamas understood that overt control of the Strip would deter the international community from transferring the funds required for reconstruction, delay the rebuilding of the Strip and could spark civilian unrest, and therefore signaled its willingness to transfer the civilian administration to a Palestinian technocratic government, while refusing to disarm. Nevertheless, Hamas' absolute control over government institutions and the provision of services, including at the local level, will leave it with significant influence, even if an alternative body is established to manage the Strip in accordance with the second stage of the American plan."
Here is what the Trump administration needs to understand: Hamas, like ISIS, as a deeply committed terrorist organization, has no right to exist. Its military, civilian, and political infrastructure needs to be completely dismantled and destroyed. Unfortunately, this is the only way to achieve security and stability in the Middle East and prevent another October 7-style massacre against Israel.
- Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22172/hamas-internal-election
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