Two Hamas officials have told the BBC that the selection of a successor to the group’s leader Yahya Sinwar, whose assassination was confirmed on Thursday, will begin soon.
Officials said Khalil al-Hayya, Sinwar’s deputy and the party’s top official outside Gaza, is considered a hardliner.
Al-Hayya, who is based in Qatar, is currently leading the Hamas delegation in the ceasefire talks between the group and Israel, and has deep knowledge, connections and understanding of the situation in Gaza.
Hamas leaders will meet again to choose a successor to Sinwar, who was most wanted in Israel, just two months after the assassination of former leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
A senior Hamas official described Sinwar as the architect of the October 7 attack, insisting that his appointment was intended as a bold message of contempt for Israel.
Since July, ceasefire talks have stalled, and many believe that Sinwar’s leadership has been a key obstacle to any ceasefire agreement.
Despite Sinwar’s killing, a senior Hamas official also told the BBC that the organization’s conditions for accepting a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages have not changed.
Hamas continues to demand a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an end to the war, the transfer of humanitarian aid, and the reconstruction of the war-torn area – conditions that Israel has rejected, insisting that Hamas must surrender.
When asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for Hamas to lay down its arms and surrender, the organization’s officials replied: “It is impossible for us to surrender.
“We are fighting for the freedom of our people, and we will not surrender. We will fight until the last bullet and the last soldier, just like Sinwar did.”
Sinwar’s killing was one of the organization’s biggest losses in decades. However, despite the challenges of replacing him, Hamas has a history of enduring leadership losses since the 1990s.
Although Israel has succeeded in killing most of the leaders and founders of Hamas, the organization has shown resilience in its ability to recruit new members.
Amid the crisis, questions remain about the fate of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and who will be responsible for their safety and security.
In this context, Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of Yahya Sinwar, emerged as an important figure. He is believed to be the leader of the remaining Hamas factions and may play a key role in shaping the organization’s future in Gaza.
As Hamas moves through this critical period, the war in Gaza continues.
Dozens of people were killed in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza on Saturday as the Israeli army stepped up attacks on Israel saying Hamas was trying to regroup.
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