Gaza, Apr 13 (IANS): The Islamic Hamas movement said that its former politburo chief, Khaled Meshaal, was elected to be the head its overseas bureau.

The movement said in a statement on Monday that during the past two months, Hamas was able to hold its internal elections, where Meshaal was elected as the head of the movement's office in the diaspora, reports Xinhua news agency.

Although the power of Hamas is based in the Gaza Strip, it has supporters and followers in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and other countries in the Middle East.

The statement said Moussa Abu Marzouk was elected as Meshaal's deputy, adding that new members of the Shura Council or Parliament of the Hamas movement were also elected during the past two months.

Meshaal, 64, who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Jordan in 1997, was Hamas politburo chief until 2017 when Ismail Haniyeh, 58, who is based in Gaza, was elected as the new chief of the movement until now.

Palestinian sources close to Hamas told Xinhua that the movement will end its internal elections in the Palestinian territories and abroad by electing a new politburo chief during April.

On March 10, the movement elected Yehya Sinwar to be the Hamas chief in the Gaza Strip.

The Islamic movement, which was found in December 1987, has been in control of the besieged enclave since 2007.

Hamas' internal elections take place every four years.

The election process spans a number of months and involves the movement's various local politburos, representing Hamas members in Gaza, the West Bank, the diaspora as well as Israeli prisons.

The process of Hamas' internal elections is underground.

At the end of the elections, the movement unveils the new central politburo chief and the central politburo members.