The dying of the pinnacle of Hamas Yahya Sinwar, killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, raises many questions on the way forward for the warfare between Israel and Hamas, however probably the most burning query is: who would be the new head of Hamas? The reply to that is important as it might not solely determine the course of Hamas, a political terrorist group in Gaza, however may additionally determine the state of affairs within the Center East.
The Israel Protection Forces have declared that Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7 assault bloodbath in Israel, has been killed in a routine Israeli operation.
Sinwar was adamant a couple of ceasefire and hostage launch settlement between Israel and Hamas, and his dying has led many specialists to imagine that this might be a possibility for negotiations within the Israeli-Palestinian battle.
This, nevertheless, will rely on who takes over Hamas after Sinwar.
There’s dialogue about some leaders within the ranks of Hamas.
MOHAMMED SINWAR
A doable successor might be Yahya’s brother. Mohammed, 49, is a prime commander in Hamas’s army wing.
Basic Amir Avivi, president of Bitchonistim (safety specialists), spoke to the Israeli newspaper Maariv about Sinwar’s dying.
“So even when Sinwar has been, or will likely be, eradicated, except his brother and two or three different central figures are additionally eradicated, breaking the hierarchical construction of Hamas will likely be tough,” Avivi stated when Israel was nonetheless confirming Sinwar’s dying. Sinwar. .
Avivi additionally talked about how Yahya’s brother was additionally chargeable for the seize of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and no prisoner change would have occurred with out their launch. Greater than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, together with Yahya Sinwar, had been launched in change for Shalit’s freedom in 2011.
Mohammed Sinwar, like his brother Yahya, is one other of Israel’s primary targets. He has additionally survived a number of makes an attempt to kill him.
However his appointment may imply a continuation of Yahya Sinwar’s management type, the place hardliners concentrate on excessive violence.
KHALIK AL-HAYYA
Hayya is a member of the Hamas political bureau in Qatar and is among the primary negotiators of the ceasefire discussions in Doha. Lives in Qatar. He was additionally Yahya Sinwar’s deputy.
Even in July, when Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was killedal-Hayya was seen as a possible successor.
In April he had stated that Hamas would lay down its weapons and grow to be a political get together if a five-year truce was shaped and an unbiased Palestinian state was shaped, the Related Press reported.
He survived an airstrike on his residence in Gaza in 2007, which killed a number of members of his household.
MAHMOUD AL-ZAHAR
Zahar is among the founding members of Hamas and has been referred to as a “hawk” and “social conservative,” in line with the European Council on Overseas Relations.
Zahar was a health care provider in Gaza and was concerned in medical charity work.
He was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in 2006 and have become the primary international minister to win elections for Hamas that very same yr.
He survived assassination makes an attempt by Israel in 1992 and 2003.
Zahar has not appeared since October 7, in line with Reuters.
MOUSA ABU MARZOUK
Marzouk helped within the creation of the Muslim Brotherhood which later shaped Hamas. He’s the highest-ranking member of Hamas’s political bureau.
Within the Nineteen Nineties, Israel accused him of planning and financing terrorist actions, the New York Instances reported.
He later traveled to the US, the place he gained assist for the Palestinian trigger.
He needed to agree to surrender his everlasting residency in the US and plead no contest to terrorism costs after spending two years in jail in a Manhattan jail within the Nineteen Nineties.
He was then deported to Jordan.
KHALED MASHAL
Mashal was the general chief of the political workplace in 1996. Two years later, Israel injected him with a sluggish poison in Jordan, which left him in a coma and the antidote was supplied by Israel as a part of a diplomatic settlement with Jordan, it stories. The New York Instances.
He lived in Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar and Syria. When he left political workplace in 2017, Ismail Haniyeh took over.
However he won’t be such a probable alternative since he had supported an rebellion towards Syrian President Bashar al-Ashad, which prompted an issue along with his patron Iran, in line with CNN.
He lived within the Hamas headquarters in Qatar. Right here the exiled chief was interviewed by Reuters.
“Palestinian historical past is made from cycles,” stated the 68-year-old. “We undergo phases during which we lose martyrs and lose a part of our army capabilities, however then the Palestinian spirit rises once more, just like the phoenix, thank God.”
Yahya Sinwar had tight management over Hamas although the Palestinian group was affected by factionalism. He additionally constructed and grew Hamas into the pressure it’s right now. So who his successor is will decide how issues progress from right here. Whereas there isn’t any affirmation from Hamas on who the brand new chief could be, the complete world is ready and waiting for the one who will play a key function in figuring out the way forward for the warfare between Israel and Hamas.
