Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

NatSecEdge
cipherbrief

Welcome! Log in to stay connected and make the most of your experience.

Input clean

Can Hamas Elections Shift the Status Quo?

Can Hamas Elections Shift the Status Quo?

With a new administration set to enter the White House early next year, there is hope for a renewal of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.  One of the key players who will play a role in any potential negotiations, Hamas, is set to undergo an election of its own in the coming months, and the stakes could not be higher.

In July, reports circulated that Hamas’ longtime leader and Political Bureau Chief, Khaled Mashal, would not seek reelection after serving in his post for 20 years. “Mashal has been slowly losing influence,” explained Rob Richer, Cipher Brief expert and former Associate Deputy Director for Operations at the CIA. “He lives in Qatar, may be viewed as a tool of the Qatari government, and has become less identifiable to the people on the streets of Gaza. So there was an internal push for change,” he continued.

Keep reading...Show less
Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.
Save Your Seat

Related Articles

The Middle East is Reshuffling the Deck. Is the U.S. Ready to Play a New Hand?

The Middle East is Reshuffling the Deck. Is the U.S. Ready to Play a New Hand?

EXPERT INTERVIEW – The past year has brought a whirlwind of dramatic developments in the Middle East, reshaping long-held assumptions about the [...] More

Can President Trump Get a "Big, Beautiful" Deal in the Middle East?

Can President Trump Get a "Big, Beautiful" Deal in the Middle East?

CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – When Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump meet at the White House Monday, they will bring different ideas for resolving two [...] More

Will Anything Stop Iran's Pursuit of Nuclear Weapons?

OPINION -- The weekend bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites in Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow surprised the leadership in Tehran. It shouldn’t have, given [...] More

How Resilient is the Energy Market in Midst of Middle East Crisis?

How Resilient is the Energy Market in Midst of Middle East Crisis?

EXCLUSIVE EXPERT PERSPECTIVE -- One would have thought that the outbreak of a major war between Iran and Israel with daily missile salvos, would have [...] More

The Complications of Change in Gaza

EXPERT INTERVIEW - President Donald Trump shocked the system last week, when he said during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin [...] More

Parsing the Opportunity from Extreme Challenges in the Middle East

EXPERT INTERVIEW / PERSPECTIVE – The Middle East has changed dramatically over the past four years, creating both extraordinary challenges and [...] More