"Khaled Marshall at the new head of Hamas"...the head of an overseas organization

Khaled Mashal, head of the Palestinian militant group Hamas' overseas organization, has become the new head of Hamas, Russia's Tas news agency reported on the 18th local time.

According to reports, Lebanese news channel LBCI, citing sources, said Marshall was acting as head of Hamas's top political leader, Yahya Sinwar, after his death, and was communicating with key parties in the hostage release negotiations.

"The Hamas leadership informed officials in Turkiye, Qatar and Egypt of Sinwar's death," the source added.

Marshall was already a political director from 1996 to 2017.

The British daily Telegraph reported that Marshall is considered the most likely new head of Hamas, having gained experience as head of Hamas and exerted influence behind the scenes even after he resigned as political leader.