A year after the October 7 attacks in Israel, the Israeli government said on Thursday that they had killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
All this time Tel Aviv has been searching for the leader of the group and on several occasions came very close to his capture.
According to CNN, while Israeli forces were conducting a military operation in Rafah, they came under fire from an adjacent building. The soldiers returned fire and then a drone flew over and “saw” Sinwar, who saw it and threw a stick.
Then they realized that the Hamas leader was among the bodies.
It is noted that dental and biometric examinations were conducted to confirm Sinwar’s death. Another official said he was trying to flee to the north when he was killed. He was found with a gun and over $10,000.
Most likely successors
Sinwar’s assassination is a major blow to Hamas and for this reason discussions have opened up, both about his successor and whether the organization will now agree to negotiate with Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The main contenders for the post are:
Khaled Meshaal
First, one of the main contenders is Khaled Meshaal, who has been the organization’s general leader for more than a decade since 2006, as well as its former head of its political bureau. The 68-year-old resides in Qatar, according to the Telegraph.
Meshaal came to prominence in 1997 when Israeli agents attempted to assassinate him with an injection containing poison outside his office in Amman, Jordan, in retaliation for a bombing in Jerusalem.
Mahmoud al-Zahar
Second, Mamoud al-Zahar is also one of the candidates to succeed Sinwar. According to information from the European Council of Foreign Relations, he is a senior founding member of Hamas and is considered “pro-war” and that he has “socially conservative positions”.
Al-Zahar was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006 and was appointed as the group’s first foreign minister after Hamas recorded an electoral victory.
Mohamed Sinwar
Third, another possible successor is the leader’s brother, Mohammed Sinwar. Mohammed is just as hardline as his brother. The 49-year-old has overseen Hamas’ tunnel construction network.
A U.S. official tells CNN that if Mohammed is chosen then, “The negotiations will go completely awry,” while another former official said they are very similar.
Musa Mohammed Abu Marzouk
Fourth, a possible successor is also Musa Mohammed Abu Marzouk, who has helped create a branch of the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood, which later founded Hamas.
He remains a member of the Supreme Political Bureau. In the 1990s, when he was head of the Hamas political bureau, Israel accused him of funding and helping to organize attacks.
Khalil al-Haya
Fifth, on the list of potential successors appears to be Khalil al-Haya, who is a member of the Qatar-based Hamas political bureau.
He had played an influential role in the ceasefire agreement with Israel in the 2014 war in the Gaza Strip, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations.
