Tasnim - Khaled Meshaal, the head of Palestinian Hamas movement, announced that Ismail Haniya, the president of the political bureau of the movement, was elected as his successor.





"I would like�to announce that this new council has elected Abu al-Abed, my brother Ismail Haniya, the president of�the political bureau of�the movement," Meshaa told Al Jazeera news outlet.

"The new leadership will announce any other names in�the appropriate time. The movement blesses this election which came in�a consultative, democratic way that is homogenous with�the lists and that shows the unity of�the movement."

Meshaal, who now lives in�an exile in�the Qatari capital of�Doha, has been running the Hamas political wing for�the maximum two terms in�office, Sputnik reported.

It comes several days after�the Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, issued a new policy document, announcing for�first time that it would accept the creation of�the Palestinian state within�the borders preceding the Six-Day War.

The document, however, stressed that it would not recognize Israel.