Khaled Mashal
Officials in Gaza made it very clear to Mashal that they will no longer allow him to continue serving as the leader of the Hamas terrorist organization.
Khaled Mashal, the man Israel has attempted to eliminate in the past, will soon be forced to leave his position as the leader of Hamas – presumably within a few months. Gaza officials made it very clear that they are not willing for him to continue on to a third term following the two in which he was elected to lead Hamas’s internal institutions.
This major step affirms that the strongest man in the terrorist organization, whether or not he decides to take the title, is Yihia Al-Sinwar – one of the terrorists released in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange in 2011.
Yihia Al-Sinwar: Mashal’s designated replacement
Over the past few months, Mashal has repeatedly stated that the next round of fighting is close and that Hamas will continue strengthening. Upon being interviewed by a Palestinian news agency a few months ago, Mashal said that his terrorist organization will return the bodies of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin and Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul in exchange for the release of high level prisoners, such as Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Sa’adat.
