According to a Palestinian Arab source, Hamas has struggled to make independent decisions since the end of the ceasefire. Officials within the organization admit that the assassinations have left a leadership vacuum that remains unfilled.
A source from one of the Palestinian Arab factions told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat over the weekend that since the ceasefire ended on March 18, Hamas has been going through a particularly difficult period in terms of leadership and decision-making.
According to the source, this is reflected in Hamas's tendency to prolong negotiations in order to hold extensive internal consultations. The group has also been engaging in new forms of cooperation with other Palestinian Arab factions, including Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, in an effort to ensure that every decision is backed by broad consensus.
The source added that during the leadership of Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, decisions within Hamas were made swiftly, and the other factions were only informed for the sake of coordination or to offer comments, which were sometimes ignored altogether.
By contrast, the current leadership council is choosing to involve more actors, both due to internal difficulties in making critical decisions following the leadership void, and out of a desire to present any agreement reached as having broad Palestinian Arab approval.
Senior Hamas officials acknowledged that Haniyeh possessed an exceptional charisma that none of the current leaders have. They described Haniyeh as a veteran political and diplomatic figure who preferred the political path and was therefore highly respected within the political bureau and among the other factions, with whom he maintained strong relationships.
“The assassinations left a void in terms of presence, charisma, and decision-making authority,” they said. “However, this does not diminish the value of the current leadership, which is working to reach an agreement that preserves Palestinian rights — the same goal Haniyeh and Sinwar were pursuing in the final period before their assassination.”