Palestine’s Hamas holds 1st stage of internal elections

By Ola Atallah

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Palestinian resistance movement Hamas on Friday will hold the first stage of the group’s internal elections, according to a source from within the movement.

"The electoral process will cover the presidency of the Hamas political bureau and include all administrative levels of the movement," the source told Anadolu Agency, speaking anonymously due to restrictions on talking to media.

The group’s internal elections will be held in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and abroad.

The group holds internal elections -- conducted largely in secret for security reasons -- every four years.

Hamas’ last internal polls, held in 2013, led to the reelection of Khaled Meshaal as leader of the group’s political bureau.