Shura Council
The Shura Council is a consultative body that elects Hamas‘s Politburo. It is comprised of members from the four ‘regional’ shuras, elected by Hamas members in Gaza, the West Bank, the diaspora, and by prisoners in Israeli jails. These regional shuras appoint ‘regional’ politburos (local leaderships) for each area.
The shuras were initially dominated by religious figures but now also include an unknown number of political and social figures. Membership of Hamas’s shuras is mostly kept secret.
In October 2023, Israel killed Osama Mazini (أسامة المزيني) — the head of Hamas’ shura council in the Gaza Strip. He was previously in charge of negotiations leading to the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners.