New Delhi: The death of Hamas’ notorious leader, known as the “Face of Evil” and the mastermind behind the October 7th massacre, has created a significant power vacuum. Whoever rises to fill his position will greatly impact the direction of the ongoing conflict.
Yahya Sinwar, 61, was killed on Wednesday during a routine Israeli Defense Force (IDF) patrol in Rafah. The IDF fired a tank shell into a building after engaging with Hamas militants, and Sinwar’s body was later found in the debris.
Mohammed Sinwar
Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, is one of the top commanders in Hamas’ military wing and could emerge as a surprise contender to lead the organization.
At 49, Mohammed has largely remained out of the public eye throughout his career with Hamas, making few media appearances, according to Reuters. Despite this low profile, he is considered a top target for Israel and has survived multiple assassination attempts.
Although Mohammed lacks the charismatic leadership and strategic vision of his late brother, his family name could garner respect among Hamas members. Bloodlines often hold significant weight in leadership and influence in the Arab world. The Sinwar brothers were known to be very close, and both are believed to have played key roles in planning the October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in more than 1,200 deaths, according to Fox News.
Khalil Al Hayya
Khalil Al Hayya, Hamas’ chief negotiator, emerged as a prominent figure during cease-fire discussions held in Cairo and Doha over the summer, and is now considered a leading candidate to succeed Yahya Sinwar.
A close deputy to Sinwar, Al Hayya’s potential rise to leadership could signal a shift toward diplomacy, according to experts. Earlier this year, he suggested the possibility of Hamas disarming if Israel allowed the creation of a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank, a proposal Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly opposed.
Retired General Jack Keane, chairman of the Institute for the Study of War, noted that “all the military chiefs who helped plan the October 7 attack have already been killed, leaving only Hamas’ political leaders.”
Mohammed Deif
Mohammed Deif leads the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. Known to Palestinians as “The Mastermind” and to Israelis as “The Cat with Nine Lives,” he is a shadowy figure who has long evaded capture.
Deif was imprisoned by Israeli authorities in 1989, during which he helped establish the al-Qassam Brigades, aimed at capturing Israeli soldiers. After his release, he played a pivotal role in the construction of tunnels used by Hamas fighters to infiltrate Israel from Gaza.
One of Israel’s most-wanted men, Deif is accused of orchestrating the 1996 bus bombings that killed dozens of Israelis and of involvement in the capture and killing of three Israeli soldiers in the mid-1990s. Though imprisoned again in 2000, he escaped at the start of the second Palestinian intifada and has been largely unseen since, with only three known photographs of him — one outdated, another where he’s masked, and a third showing only his shadow.
Deif has survived several assassination attempts. In 2002, he lost an eye and reportedly a foot and a hand, as well as facing difficulties speaking. Another attempt in 2014 left him alive, but his wife and two children were killed during an Israeli strike on Gaza.
Khaled Meshaal
Khaled Meshaal, born in the West Bank in 1956, is recognized as one of the founding members of Hamas. In 1997, under direct orders from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Mossad made an assassination attempt on Meshaal while he was living in Jordan. He was injected with a toxic substance as he walked down a street.
Initially reluctant, Netanyahu provided the antidote after facing pressure from U.S. President Bill Clinton, ultimately saving Meshaal’s life. Meshaal, who currently resides in Qatar, visited the Gaza Strip for the first time in 2012, where he was greeted by Palestinian officials and welcomed by large crowds of supporters.
