Khaled Mashal. (Photo: Trango - Own work, CC BY 3.0)
Palestinian sources speaking to Kann News say that Khaled Mashal, former leader of Hamas and current head of Hamas' overseas section, is the leading candidate to replace Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran earlier this morning (Wednesday).
According to the report, Hamas leaders have engaged in marathon discussions since the assassination to try and determine who will lead the terrorist organization's political wing.
Mashal was the target of an assassination attempt himself in 1997, during Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's first term. The King of Jordan forced Israel to provide the antidote to the poison used, allowing him to survive.