New Hamas chief tours native Gaza, highlights power shift
GAZA, Palestinian Territory — The newly elected leader of Hamas paid tribute in Gaza on Monday to Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel, his first appearance in the new role and a sign of the group’s internal power shift from the diaspora to the Hamas-ruled territory.
Since the Palestinian group’s founding 30 years ago, its top leaders had moved between Arab capitals such as Beirut, Damascus, and Doha, Qatar. On Saturday, Hamas confirmed it had elected Ismail Haniyeh, a former Gaza prime minister, to replace Qatar-based Khaled Mashaal as head of the group’s political bureau, the top job.
Haniyeh, born in the Shati refugee camp near Gaza City, is well known in the tiny, crowded coastal strip of 2 million people.
He briefly visited a Gaza City “solidarity tent” for hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, arriving in his familiar white SUV and accompanied by bodyguards. Photos of the prisoners were displayed in the tent.