Hamas elects new leader on Saturday

Gaza-based resistance group Hamas will hold elections on Saturday to elect a new political bureau chief to replace Khaled Meshaal, according to a Hamas source.

The polls will be held in the Gaza Strip and Qatar's capital Doha simultaneously via video conference, the source said on condition of anonymity because he was unauthorized to speak to media.

The top contenders include former prime minister Ismail Haniyeh and senior Hamas leaders Moussa Abu Marzouk and Mohammed Nazzal.

Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders were scheduled to leave for Qatar to participate in the vote, but the closure of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt prevented them from travelling.