Politburo
The Political Bureau (Politburo) is Hamas‘s main decision-making body whose authority is derived from the support of the Shura Council. The Politburo determines social, political, and military policies, in consultation with the Shura Council.
In addition to the main Politburo, Hamas has ‘regional’ Politburos elected by four ‘regional’ Shuras, representing the West Bank, Gaza, the diaspora, and prisoners.
The main Politburo comprises 15 members elected by the Shura Council every four years. In May 2017, Ismail Haniyeh was elected as Hamas chairman, replacing Khaled Mashal. After Haniyeh’s assassination by Israel in July 2024, the Shura Council chose Yahya Sinwar to lead the movement until his death fighting Israeli forces in southern Gaza in October 2024.
Having lost two leaders in quick succession, Hamas has adopted a temporary model of collective leadership to mitigate the effect of future Israeli assassinations. This is made up of 5 members: the head of Shura Council, Muhammad Darwish; the leaders of three regional politburos: Khaled Mashal (External); Khalil al-Hayya (Gaza); and Zaher Jabareen (West Bank); and an unknown fifth member.