Blank ballots deadlock Hamas Gaza leadership election
Awadallah previously ran against Sinwar in 2021, narrowly losing the race after three rounds of voting
Hamas has suspended its elections for the leader of Gaza after a significant portion of the electors returned blank ballots in the first round of the run-off election, Arab media reported.
Khalil al-Hayya was elected overall leader of the group in May; these elections are for the group’s leader in Gaza.
The contest is currently between Ali al-Amoudi and Nizar Awadallah, with Amoudi representing the more aggressive faction associated with Yahya Sinwar and Awadallah representing the more cautious faction associated with the traditional leadership.
Awadallah previously ran against Sinwar in 2021, narrowly losing the race after three rounds of voting.
Awadallah, 68, is considered a member of Hamas' founding generation and has played significant roles in various negotiations over the years, including playing a leading role in the Gilad Shalit deal that saw Sinwar and Amoudi released.
Amoudi, meanwhile, was released from an Israeli prison in 2011 and frequently accompanied Sinwar during meetings and events. The two were reportedly close in prison, and Amoudi later became the leader of Hamas’ media division under Sinwar.
Amoudi's decision to replace certain Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip has reportedly caused anger among Hamas functionaries in the Strip, Arab media reported.
The return of a significant number of blank ballots in Hamas elections is reportedly quite common and a result of dissatisfaction with both candidates, according to a Hamas source in Asharq Al-Awsat.