As of November 2016, reports circulated regarding Haniyeh’s succession of Khaled Mashaal as leader of Hamas.Mashaal, Haniyeh and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met in Qatar recently to discuss national reconciliation and the upcoming national elections. This meeting signaled that Haniyeh had been selected over the other two likely candidates, senior Hamas member Moussa Mohammed Abu Marzook and Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar.In 2018 he was placed on United States’ list of specially designated global terrorists.
Haniyeh left Gaza in September to visit a series of Arab and Muslim states in preparation for his new role, and officially relocated to the Qatari capital of Doha, where Mashaal has been residing. It is expected of the head of Hamas’ politburo to live outside of the Gaza Strip.