Hamas elects Khaled Meshaal to head diaspora office

GAZA CITY, Palestine

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas elected its former chief Khaled Meshaal as head of its office in the diaspora, a source in the group said Monday.

The source, who asked not to be named, told Anadolu Agency that elections earlier in the day to choose a president of the group abroad resulted in Meshaal being elected for a four-year term.

Meshaal was Hamas leader from 1996 until 2017 before he was succeeded by incumbent chief Ismail Haniyeh.

Since mid-February, Hamas has held internal elections in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and abroad.

On March 10, the group re-elected Yahya Sinwar as its president in the Gaza Strip.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara