International
With its top unheaded, Hamas seeks new leadership in the middle of the war in Gaza
“Sinwar’s death will not end the resistance or the cause,” Hamas assured by confirming that the top leader of the movement died last week in clashes with Israeli troops in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.
The group then said that the Shura Council, its highest advisory body, would meet in the coming days to elect the new head of the political bureau to replace Sinwar, who in turn in August replaced In that position Ismail Haniyeh, eliminated in Tehran in an attack attributed to Israel.
However, Hamas sources have pointed out to EFE the possibility of postponing that decision to March, when internal elections are planned; and delegating the leadership to a five-member steering committee, which will assume the strategic political and military decisions.
“The next step is still under consultation in the direction of the movement. No decision has been made,” a source from the Hamas political bureau told EFE.
It is not the first time that Hamas has faced the assassination of its leaders, but its internal mechanisms are designed to make the movement survive above specific personalities.
The figures that follow in the first line are:
– Jaled Meshaal: One of the vice presidents of the Hamas political bureau, a body that he already led between 1996 and 2017, when he was succeeded in office by the head of the movement within the Strip, Ismail Haniyeh. That transfer marked the transfer of power from the leaders abroad to those inside Gaza (two years later Haniyeh moved to Qatar).
Born in the West Bank in 1956, he has lived in exile since 1967, when his family fled to Jordan in the Six-Day War. He then moved to Kuwait, where he joined the Muslim Brotherhood. A two-month tour in 1975 through Palestinian lands imbued him with patriotic feelings and he is one of the founders of Hamas in 1987.
He survived a poisoning assassination attempt in Amman by Mossad agents in 1997, by order of Benjamin Netanyahu. With Meshaal in a coma, the King of Jordan demanded the antidote under threat of breaking relations with Israel and trying his spies. Netanyahu had to give in after Bill Clinton’s intervention.
He has lived in Syria, Qatar and Turkey, and is the main representative of Hamas among the Palestinian exodus. With the murders of Haniyeh and the vice president of the political bureau, Saleh al Arouri – last January in Beirut – Meshaal remains the strongest figure of the group abroad.
–Jalil al Hayya: He was Sinwar’s right hand in the political branch within the Strip. After his appointment as president of the group in August, Al Hayya replaced him as head of Hamas in the enclave and occupies one of the three vice presidencies of the office, which corresponds to leaders from within Gaza.
In 2006 he led the Hamas bloc in the defunct Palestinian Legislative Council. He is a prominent supporter of the armed struggle against Israel and has survived several assassination attempts, the most serious in 2007, when an attack on his house in the northern Strip killed several of his relatives.
It was he who, the day after Israel announced Sinwar’s death, confirmed the news on behalf of Hamas, which can augur a prominent role.
– Mohamed Sinwar: He is the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar and a prominent commander of the al Qasam Brigades, the armed arm of Hamas. Before the death of several commanders during the war – including their military chief, Mohamed Deif, and his ‘number two’, Marwan Issa – he assumed military command of the southern half of the Strip, from Nuseirat to Rafah.
He grew up in the ranks of the Hamas military wing since the nineties, when he was a teenager, in the shadow of his brother. Although his leadership is on the military level, the current war context leaves him a wide margin of decision and autonomy. It is one of the “most sought after” by Israel.
– Musa Abu Marzouk: He is a member of the political bureau and, together with Haniyeh, promoted a pragmatic approach in negotiations with Israel for a ceasefire. In the 1990s, when he resided in the United States, he was arrested for raising funds for the armed wing of Hamas, and then remained in exile in Jordan, Egypt and Qatar.
– Izz ad Din al Haddad: He was the commander of the Gaza City Brigade when the war began, but now he holds military command of the entire northern part of the enclave. Together with the little Sinwar, he is in charge of continuing the “war of attrition” against Israel and co-directing military operations.
– Zaher Jabarin: He was from the circle close to Sinwar and Haniyeh. Handles the financial affairs of the group. Before he participated in military activities, so he was arrested by Israel and released in 2011 in the same exchange of more than a thousand prisoners for soldier Gilad Shalit, in which Sinwar was also released from prison.
International
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday announced legislation to establish a federal anti-corruption office aimed at strengthening oversight of the executive branch and preventing future presidents from using the White House for personal financial gain.
Schumer said the proposal was prompted by what he described as President Donald Trump’s misuse of the presidencyto benefit his family’s business interests.
“In just 18 months, the Trump family has made more than $4 billion by exploiting the influence of the presidency,” Schumer alleged.
The New York senator also argued that the alleged corruption has had direct economic consequences for American households.
“The same corrupt practices Trump is using to pocket billions of dollars are also forcing Americans to pay, on average, $3,100 more each year because of the rising cost of living,” he said.
The legislation was introduced alongside Democratic Senators Alex Padilla, Jeff Merkley, and Andy Kim.
According to Schumer, the bill has two primary objectives: “First, to return money to the American people. Second, to ensure that no one can ever steal from them again.”
He added that the proposal would create legal mechanisms allowing citizens to seek the recovery of funds allegedly obtained through government corruption.
“The fact that Trump stole money from the American people does not make it his. Americans deserve to get that money back,” Schumer said.
Under the proposed legislation, any U.S. citizen—as well as state attorneys general acting on behalf of their residents—would be authorized to file civil lawsuits to recover funds allegedly acquired through corrupt practices by public officials.
“Our bill would empower any individual, including a state attorney general acting on behalf of the people of that state, to bring legal action to recover money stolen from the public through government corruption,” Schumer said.
The measure is expected to face debate in Congress, where Republicans and Democrats remain deeply divided over executive accountability and the scope of presidential powers.
International
Trump Administration Urges Latin America to Increase Defense Spending Against Organized Crime
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Latin American countries to increase investment in defense and security to strengthen the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking networks.
The appeal was made by Elbridge Colby, the U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in an article published by Americas Quarterly. Colby argued that governments across the region should assume greater responsibility for protecting their territories from transnational criminal organizations.
“It is essential that our neighbors in the region invest more in their own defense and security. There is no reason why any country, especially those facing significant narco-terrorist threats, should spend so little on defense,” Colby wrote.
The Pentagon official described it as “absurd” that some Latin American nations allocate less than 1% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defense, although he did not identify the countries. He contrasted that with NATO members in Europe, many of which are increasing defense expenditures to 3.5% of GDP, with an additional 1.5% devoted to security-related investments.
Colby, who participated earlier this month in the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in Cusco, Peru, said there is “a historic opportunity” for the United States and its regional partners to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking and other transnational threats.
He also defended the proposed Shield of the Americas, a military partnership promoted by the Trump administration to combat organized crime and supported by several conservative governments in the region. The initiative does not include Brazil or Mexico.
In addition, Colby said the administration’s security strategy includes an updated interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine, the long-standing U.S. foreign policy principle that historically viewed Latin America as part of Washington’s sphere of influence.
“Of course, we recognize that the Monroe Doctrine is controversial in many circles. But it is also frequently misunderstood,” he said.
According to Colby, the United States is not seeking “exploitation, subordination or dependence,” but rather a region characterized by greater prosperity, stability and security.
He also stated that Washington is prepared to use “all available resources,” including the U.S. Armed Forces, to combat drug trafficking and irregular migration. Colby highlighted ongoing counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean, despite criticism from human rights organizations that have questioned some missions over allegations of extrajudicial killings in international waters.
International
FAO and WFP Seek $42 Million to Prepare Southern Africa for Unprecedented El Niño
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday appealed for $42 million to help vulnerable communities in southern Africa prepare for what is expected to be an unprecedented El Niño event.
The funding will enable humanitarian agencies to protect millions of people before worsening weather conditions severely affect agricultural production across the region.
Following a meeting with partners in Maputo, Mozambique, the two UN agencies said they still need to secure $42 million of the $54 million required to assist 2.3 million people in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
In a joint statement, FAO and WFP said the appeal marks the first time the two organizations have launched a large-scale, forward-looking call for anticipatory action, warning that insufficient funding could push the region’s most vulnerable families into a major food security crisis.
“The period before the main planting season is critical for taking action,” said José Luis Fernández, FAO Representative in Mozambique. He stressed that early intervention is both more effective and less costly than responding after crops have failed and productive assets have already been lost.
“With timely and flexible financing, we can help farmers access appropriate seeds and agricultural inputs, protect livestock and water resources, and sustain food production before reduced rainfall causes irreversible damage,” Fernández said.
Claire Conan, WFP Representative in Mozambique, emphasized that acting before disasters strike is more efficient and cost-effective than responding after communities have lost their livelihoods. She added that the agency is working closely with the Mozambican government to translate climate forecasts into preventive measures aimed at reducing the impact of droughts and floods.
The planned interventions include supporting farmers, strengthening food production systems and protecting the food security of the region’s most vulnerable households, with the goal of reducing the risk of widespread hunger.
El Niño is a recurring climate phenomenon characterized by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and changes in atmospheric circulation, disrupting weather patterns around the world. Its most recent episode, between 2023 and 2024, was associated with record global temperatures, severe droughts across southern Africa, Central America and northern South America, as well as destructive wildfires, torrential rainfall and widespread flooding.
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
Trump Administration Urges Latin America to Increase Defense Spending Against Organized Crime
FAO and WFP Seek $42 Million to Prepare Southern Africa for Unprecedented El Niño
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