Ending division and restructuring Palestinian systems top Haniyeh’s priorities

Senior Hamas leader Shaker Amarah said on Sunday that ending the internal Palestinian division and restructuring systems are the top priorities for the new head of the movement’s political bureau, Quds Press has reported.

“Ismail Haniyeh will consider the reinforcement of the national reconciliation efforts,” he revealed, “as well as open-up new Arab and regional relations.” The former Palestinian prime minister, he noted, enjoys popular and official respect inside the country and abroad. Despite the difficulties that it faces, Hamas is still an integrated movement, he added. “The circumstances have not affected our ability to hold internal elections.”

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Amarah stressed that Haniyeh was chosen democratically by Hamas leaders to lead the movement’s political bureau. The new political head is an intelligent leader, he explained, with enough experience to achieve the Palestinian national goals.

The choice of Haniyeh to succeed Khaled Meshaal was announced on Saturday. Meshaal has held the top political bureau role since 1996. The announcement was followed by details of other members of the bureau, although some names were not disclosed, for security reasons, especially those who live in the occupied West Bank or in exile elsewhere.