According to Reuters, experts say Hamas may replace Yahya Sinwar with a new political leader outside Gaza, while his brother Mohammad Sinwar is expected to take on a larger role in directing the fight against Israel in the territory.
On October 17, the Israeli army confirmed that Yahya Sinwar was killed in a gunfight in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Yahya Sinwar sparked more than a year of brutal war in the Gaza Strip by masterminding the brutal October 7, 2023 attack on Israeli territory that killed 1,200 civilians. This is the second time Hamas has lost its top leader in less than three months.
On July 31, former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran (Iran).
The military and political leadership were merged when Yahya Sinwar took power but that seems unlikely this time around, experts say.
On October 18, Hamas deputy leader Khalil Al-Hayya confirmed the death of Yahya Sinwar, and declared that the hostage would not be released until Israel withdrew all troops from Gaza and the war ended.
Hamas has a history of quickly replacing slain leaders through meetings of the Shura Council - the top decision-making body of the Iran-backed force in Gaza.
The Shura Council represents all Hamas members in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, as well as Palestinians. This means the new leader has the right to negotiate a ceasefire without having to be in Gaza.
According to analysts, other candidates for the position of Hamas leader besides deputy leader Khalil AI-Hayya are Khaled Meshaal - the predecessor of former leader Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammad Darwish - the chairman of the Shura Council.
