Six candidates for Hamas leadership to replace Yahya Sinwar, Who are they?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Israel announced that he had killed the leader Hamas, Yahya Sinwar in an attack in Southern Gaza on Wednesday, October 16 2024. Sinwar has been hunted by Israel for more than a year.

Sinwar, 61, had spent two decades in Israeli prisons before returning to Gaza. He became the supreme commander of Hamas.

He is accused of being the main architect of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel has offered a reward of US$ 400,000 for information leading to his arrest or death. Although Israel has carried out several airstrikes targeting Yahya Sinwar, he managed to live underground for months in the maze of tunnels under Gaza.

After the death of Yahya Sinwar, the leadership of Hamas was vacant. Although not confirmed, Lebanese media reported that Yahya Sinwar’s temporary replacement is Khaled Mashal. The following are several senior Hamas figures who are said to be potential replacements for Yahya Sinwar.

1. Mahmud Al-Zahar

Mahmoud al-Zahar, one of the founding members of Hamas, is the main candidate for Sinwar’s place. Known for his tough stance. Al-Zahar was very involved in shaping the ideological framework of the group, which aims to fight against Israel and the Islamic government in Gaza. Al-Zahar also played an important role in the group’s rise to power after the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 and served as its first foreign minister.

Despite several Israeli assassination attempts twice, in 1992 and 2003, al-Zahar is still a key figure in the political structure of Hamas.

2. Muhammad Sinwar

Another potential successor is Yahya Sinwar’s brother, Mohammed Sinwar. Like his brother, Mohammed has long been a leader in the military wing of Hamas. According to reports, Mohammed has the same tough approach as Yahya. US officials have expressed concerns that his presidency will make the peace talks more challenging.