Sinwar won the Hamas leadership election in Gaza Israel today

The incumbent leader manages to defeat his rival, Nizar Awadla, in the fourth round of voting • Hamas source: "At the last minute, Iran's attempt to oust Sinwar was thwarted"

• Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar // Photo: AP

After four rounds in which Yehiya Sinwar and Nizar Awadallah competed head to head for the post of Hamas leader in Gaza, Hamas Shura Council members chose Yahya Sinwar to continue in office for another four years.

As mentioned yesterday (Tuesday), a channel reported to the Lebanese Miyadin close to Iran and Hezbollah that the candidate wanted by Tehran, senior Hamas Politburo official Nizar Awadallah, defeated Yahya Sinwar in the first round and will head the organization in Gaza.

Sinwar and his men were outraged and stunned by the report in al-Mayadin claiming that Awadallah and his patrons in Tehran had leaked to the Arab media that Awadallah had won the first round with the aim of overthrowing Sinwar when in fact neither candidate received the required 51% of the vote.

Following the drama that took place under the leadership of Hamas, two more rounds of voting were held in which there was also a close battle and none of the candidates won.

In 51% of the votes and therefore it was decided to hold (Wednesday) another round of voting among Hamas Shura Council members and the candidate who wins the most votes will win. 

Hamas has not yet issued an official statement on Sinwar's victory and some votes, but the Palestinian media in Gaza, including Hamas bulletins, reported on Sinwar's victory.

A senior Hamas official in Gaza told Israel today;

"At the last minute, Iran's attempt to overthrow Sinwar was thwarted by the election of Awadallah, who is close to the ayatollahs' regime.

Had Awadallah been elected, there would have been huge repercussions on relations with Egypt, and the hot alliance between Sinwar and Egyptian intelligence chiefs would probably have crumbled. "