Gaza war: Who will be the next Hamas leader after Yahya Sinwar's killing?
Many Hamas leaders are in the fray to be Sinwar's successor.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was the mastermind of the Palestinian militant group's October 7, 2023 attack against Israel, was killed by the Israeli military on Wednesday (Oct 16). Sinwar was killed during an Israeli military operation in thesouthern Gaza Strip.
Sinwarwas chosen as the militant group's overall leader after his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh was killed in July in a suspected Israeli strike during a visit to Tehran. Israel has not confirmed its involvement in the strike (that killed Haniyeh).
Yahya's brother Mohammed Sinwar is under consideration to be the next leader of Hamas. He is one of the most senior, veteran commanders of the armed wing of Hamas. Born on Sept. 15, 1975, he has rarely appeared in public or spoken to the media.
Just like his latebrother, Mohammedhas been one of the top targets on Israel's wanted list and, according to Hamas sources, has survived severalIsraeli attempts on his life, including airstrikes and roadside bomb attacks, a report by the news agency Reuters said.
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A surgeon by profession, al-Zahar is among the top contenders to be the next leader of Hamas.Friends and enemies used to call him "General" for his hardline views towards Israel and other opponents of Hamas.
Zahar, 79, has made no public statement or appearance since October7 last year and his fate remains unknown.
Reuters reported that he survivedan Israeli assassination attempt in 2003. He served as the first Hamas-appointed minister of foreign affairs after the group assumed power in Gaza in 2007 in a brief civil war with the secular Palestinian Authority, a year after it swept a parliamentary election.
Al-Hayya wasSinwar's deputy and had recently been leading the Hamas team in indirect ceasefire talks with Israel under the supervision of Ismail Haniyeh.
Also watch |Biden says Sinwar's killing by Israel 'agood day for the world'
Hayya was in the same residence when Haniyeh was struck by a short-range projectile, according to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, in Tehran, but not in the same apartment at the time of the strike.
Shabana, better known as Abu Anas Shabana, is one of the remaining top and veteran armed commanders of Hamas, heading its battalion in Rafah in the south.
Reuters reported thatShabana played a significant role in developing the network of tunnels in Rafah, which were used to attack Israeli troopsalong the border.
(With inputs from agencies)