Radio Islam and Agencies | 05 September 2016

It has now been confirmed that the deputy chief of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh has left the Gaza Strip through Egypt to take part in the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

Hamas officials at the Rafah border terminal into Egypt said that Hafidh Haniyeh, along with several other Hamas leaders and 10 security guards, traversed the crossing and headed to Cairo airport to fly to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.

It is the first time Haniyeh has left the Gaza Strip since former Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi was ousted in 2013.

Sources close to Hamas said that Haniyeh would take part in the annual pilgrimage, which starts later this week, and then hold talks in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey before returning to Gaza.

Egypt had reopened the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip last Wednesday to enable almost 2,000 Palestinian pilgrims to go to Saudi Arabia for Hajj in Mecca.

Haniyeh’s Hajj trip comes amidst a backdrop of expected leadership changes in Hamas.

Quoting “informed sources” the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper today reported that Hamas Movement is seeking to elect Haniyeh to lead the movement’s political bureau, replacing Khaled Mashaal, in the elections expected at the end of this year, .

According to the sources, Haniyeh, who lives in the Gaza Strip, is looking to settle soon with members of his family in the Qatari capital, Doha, as a sign of his preparation to assume power.

A candidate running for the presidency of the movement’s political bureau should be outside the Gaza Strip to assume power. Haniyeh was elected vice-president of Hamas political bureau during the last elections held secretly by the movement in Egypt in 2012.

Mashaal’s term as a chairman of the political bureau has already ended. He is not allowed to run for a third term after he was elected Hamas chairman for two consecutive terms.

If the reports are verified, it is still unclear when exactly Haniyeh would relocate to Qatar, and who would be the candidate to fill his shoes in Gaza.