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| Hamas leaders |
Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Palestinian armed group Hamas was killed in an Israeli attack on Thursday (October 17) while fighting against Israeli forces in Gaza. Hamas confirmed his death in a statement on Friday (October 18).
According to the information of Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom, Sinwar was one of the masterminds and main planners of the surprise attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7.
Sinwar took charge of the group after the death of Ismail Haniya, the top leader and former head of the political wing of Hamas, in August this year. Haniya was killed in an attack on July 31 in Tehran. He was there to attend the inauguration of Iran's new president, Massoud Pezeshkian.
Who may succeed Yahya Sinwar?
Sinwar's death naturally raises the question, who is his successor? A number of possible names have already come up in these discussions. Among them are Khaled Meshal, Khalil Al Haya, Mohammed Deif, Musa Abu Marzouk, Mohammed Sinwar and Mahmoud Al Zahar.
Khaled Mashal
Hours after Sinwar was killed on Thursday, Lebanon's LBCI news reported that Khaled Msshaal was the new head of Hamas. He was nominated by Hamas as Sinwar's successor.
The media also reported that Khaled Msshal has taken over as acting head of Hamas. He will now contact the main parties involved in the negotiations on the release of the Israeli hostages.
Msshal previously led Hamas from 2004 to 2017. This leader of Hamas became known around the world in 1997. To kill him at that time, Israeli agents injected him with poison in an assassination mission in Amman, the capital of Jordan.
Khalil Al-Hayya
Khalil al-Hayya is Yahya Sinwar's deputy in Gaza. Recently, under the supervision of Haniya, Hamas is leading the indirect ceasefire talks with Israel. Hayya's residence was at Hania's residence in Tehran. But when the building was attacked, he was not there.
Before that, he survived two Israeli assassination attempts. In 2007, an Israeli struck his home and killed several relatives. But he survived that journey. Then in 2014, his house was again attacked. He survived that phase too, but his elder son was killed.
Mousa Abu Marzouk
M0usa Abu Marzouk was born in 1951 in the Gaza border town of Rafah. He was one of the members when Hamas was founded in 1987. He later became a member of its Politburo. He is still actively working at the top level of the group.
Mohammed Sinwar
Mohammed Sinwar (49), brother of Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in the Israeli attack. He was born in Ghazar Khan Yunis. The first Palestinian intifada started directly against Israel. He was one of the first batch of Hamas operatives to join.
He was arrested by Israeli forces and imprisoned in the country's prison for 9 months. He later spent three years in a Palestinian Authority prison. He escaped from prison in 2000. Mohammed Sinwar grew up under the ideological influence of Hamas co-founder Abdul-Aziz al-Rantisi.
Mohammed Sinwar is believed to have replaced Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas's armed wing Izzuddin al-Qassam Brigades, in an Israeli attack.
Mohammed Ismail Darwish
Mohammed Ismail Darwish also known as 'Abu Omar Hasan'. He heads the Shura Council of Hamas. On October 6, he was appointed to the Shura Council of Hamas. He is currently staying in Qatar. Not much is known about him outside of this.
Mahmoud Al-Zahar
79-year-old Mahmoud Al-Zahar is a surgeon by profession. He was nicknamed 'The General' by friends and foes for his hard-line views on Israel and other opponents of Hamas. Zahar has not made any public statement since October 7 last year. He was not seen after that. No information is available on whether he is alive or dead.
This Hamas leader survived an Israeli assassination attempt in 2003. He served as foreign minister in 2007 after Hamas took power in a deal with the Palestinian Authority following the civil war.
Read more: `Gaza right now is like Japan 80 years ago'
