The killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip has left the Palestinian terror group in need of a new chief, with various reports Friday speculating about who could fill the gap.
A Hamas source told the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that talks for a new leader are being held in the group to select a new leader.
According to Israel’s Kan public broadcaster, a senior Hamas official told Asharq Al-Awsat that Sinwar’s death would have a great influence on the group, which now faces “a new stage.”
Other sources said that with Sinwar no longer in the picture, Hamas decision-making will now be made by remaining leaders abroad, which could also expedite long-stalled talks for a ceasefire and hostage deal.
Sinwar was killed on Wednesday in an exchange of fire with IDF forces in Gaza’s Rafah, apparently after emerging from a hiding place in the Strip’s underground tunnels. The military did not specifically target him and did not know it had killed him until approaching the body after the firefight. Israel definitively identified him on Thursday evening.
Sinwar had been the Hamas leader in Gaza for many years, but only took control of the entire organization barely two months ago following the assassination of previous leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, allegedly by Israel.
One seemingly obvious contender is former Hamas political bureau leader Khaled Mashaal, who resides in Qatar.
Mashaal has been deeply involved in mediated talks between Israel and Hamas during the ongoing war, and has been a prominent Hamas leader for decades.
Israel famously tried to assassinate him in Jordan in the 1990s, but the Mossad poisoning operation was botched when the agents were arrested, forcing Jerusalem to hand Jordanian authorities to hand over an antidote in exchange for their release.
On Thursday, Lebanese news channel LBCI claimed that Mashaal will be the acting leader of Hamas until a replacement for Sinwar is appointed. Mashaal will also be responsible for communications with mediators in talks for the release of the hostages, the channel added.
That report had received no confirmation as of Friday.
Several outlets mentioned Sinwar’s younger brother Muhammad, who is a senior commander in the terror group’s military wing. The younger Sinwar is also wanted for terror actions against Israel and has been active in Hamas for decades. He was jailed by Israel in the 1990s for nine months and spent an additional three years in a Palestinian Authority prison in Ramallah, from which he managed to escape in 2000.
However, the Ynet news site claimed that Muhammad is not considered the likely replacement. The younger Sinwar may take over Hamas in the Gaza Strip, though could face a challenge for the role from prominent commander Az al-Din Haddad, it said.
According to Channel 13, Israel has tried to assassinate Muhammad Sinwar five times in the past. The IDF on Friday said it is actively searching for him in the Gaza Strip along with other remaining Hamas commanders.
The Walla outlet also mentioned two more senior Hamas military wing commanders as possible successors to Sinwar: Haddad, and Rafah Brigade commander Muhammad Shabana, though the latter was also reportedly killed by Israel recently, though his death has not been confirmed.
However, sources in the Israeli defense establishment doubt that anyone can successfully replace Sinwar, who enjoyed a huge standing, the report said.
Another name touted by the Ynet news site is senior Hamas politburo official Khalil al-Hayya, who is also in Qatar.
A Gazan source described Al-Hayya’s standing in the Hamas political bureau as significant, adding that he is considered one of the few people whom Sinwar felt he could rely on.
In addition, Ynet mentioned two other senior Hamas political officials: Mousa Abu Marzouk, and head of the Hamas Shura Council Muhammad Ismail Darwish, who had been touted as a candidate to take over as Hamas leader after Haniyeh’s assassination.
The IDF killed Sinwar during operations amid the ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip that began when the terror group led a devastating cross-border attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and during which terrorists abducted 251 people who were taken as hostages to Gaza.
Israel’s military response is aimed at destroying Hamas and saving the hostages.
A successor to Sinwar will face the challenge of guiding policy regarding internationally mediated talks for a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages. The US and Israel accused Sinwar of deliberately shying away from reaching an agreement on a truce, refusing to compromise on hardline demands that were unacceptable to Israel.