Ismail Haniyeh, the newly elected Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, paid tribute on Monday to Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. It was Haniyeh's first appearance in his new role and a sign of the group's internal power shift from overseas to the Hamas-ruled territory: Since the terrorist group's founding 30 years ago, its top leaders have moved between Arab capitals such as Beirut, Damascus, and Doha in Qatar, where outgoing Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal resides. Haniyeh briefly visited a Gaza City "solidarity tent" for hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, arriving in his familiar white SUV and accompanied by bodyguards. "It's my honor to shoulder the responsibility of leading the political bureau of this large movement of holy resistance," he said after greeting local security chiefs. Hamas' shift to Gaza comes at a time of growing financial pressure on the territory, which has been ruled by the Islamic terrorist group since it drove out forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007. Abbas, who oversees autonomous enclaves in the West Bank, has reduced salary payments and electricity subsidies to Gaza in recent weeks and said more steps will follow. It is part of an attempt to force Hamas to cede ground in Gaza after years of failed reconciliation attempts. Haniyeh, 54, also faces other challenges, such as restrictions on movement. Israel and Egypt imposed a border blockade on Gaza after the Hamas takeover, keeping the territory's borders sealed most of the time. Hamas leaders have been able to travel abroad from time to time, but only with Egyptian coordination. Haniyeh, who served as Mashaal's deputy for the past four years, most recently traveled abroad in September. He first visited Saudi Arabia on a Muslim pilgrimage, then traditional backers Qatar and Turkey, before returning to Gaza in January. Hamas expert Khaled Hroub said the shift to Gaza could weaken the group's regional ties, particularly if travel is limited. A Gaza-based leadership might have fewer contacts with regional allies, he said. Haniyeh's election came days after Hamas published a revised political manifesto in an attempt to rebrand itself as a Palestinian national movement and distance itself from the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been outlawed by Egypt. The new charter omits the old manifesto's specific language about seeking Israel's destruction and raises the possibility of a Palestinian state within the 1967 lines, but only as a step toward "liberating" all of historic Palestine. Israel has warned that the revised charter is an attempt by Hamas to "fool the world." The power shift back to Gaza began in 2012 when Hamas leaders-in-exile had to quit their longtime base in Syria as a result of the civil war that began a year earlier. Since then, Mashaal has mostly lived in lavish hotel suites in oil-rich Qatar, but without the political and military freedom Hamas enjoyed in Damascus. Meanwhile, Hamas' military wing, Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, has become increasingly influential in Gaza. It is not clear which direction Haniyeh will choose for Hamas. An occasional mosque preacher, Haniyeh lives in the strip's Shati refugee camp under heavy guard. He has been portrayed by some as a pragmatist, although during his time as Gaza prime minister from 2006 to 2014, he was involved in Hamas decisions that led to violent confrontations with Israel and major destruction in the enclave. He takes the reins at a time of growing hardship in Gaza, including a crippling blockade-linked electricity shortage that has led to rolling power cuts of six hours on, 12 hours off. Last week, the Abbas government said it would stop paying for much of the electricity, raising the prospect of even further power cuts. It appears that Qatar and Turkey are not rushing to Hamas' aid this time. In the past, the two helped pay for fuel for Gaza's power plant, but they have not taken action since fuel ran out last month. Haniyeh, a former aide to late Hamas spiritual leader Ahmed Yassin, became Palestinian prime minister in 2006, after Hamas defeated Fatah in parliament elections. Abbas dismissed Haniyeh in 2007, after the Hamas takeover of Gaza. Hamas ignored the dismissal and a Haniyeh-led Hamas government remained in place in Gaza, while Abbas appointed a rival administration in the West Bank. The Haniyeh administration resigned in 2014, as part of a deal with Fatah to set up a transitional government for both the West Bank and Gaza that was to pave the way for national elections. The deal collapsed, with both political camps refusing to give up control in their respective territories.
