HAMAS Leadership
Senior Figures | |
Political figures |
Military figures |
HAMAS had a deep bench. The Israelis had been whacking senior leaders for many years now, with no discernable effect on the inexorable growth of the organization. The scenario is eerily similar to the War on Drugs, except that this is real war. Hamas includes political and military wings, but distinctions between the two are not fully clear. Hamas' leadership structure is more difficult to discern.
Following the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar during a 17 October 2024 clash with Israeli forces in Rafah, many questions were raised about who would succeed him. By mid-November 2024, the organization was still operating under a "joint leadership". HAMAS srouces indicated the organization would select al-Hayya "if conditions allow for the selection of a new personality to lead the bureau."
Israeli reports indicated that Hamas will not be greatly affected by the assassination of the head of its political bureau in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, as there are many figures capable of assuming leadership positions. There are a number of people being considered as potential successors to Yahya Sinwar to take over as head of Hamas's political bureau.
After the announcement of the martyrdom of Sinwar, many questions arose about the potential candidate for his position, which he assumed after the assassination of his predecessor in Iran, Ismail Haniyeh. According to the movement's bylaws, the members of the movement's Central Shura Council, which includes about fifty members, including members of the Central Political Bureau, are the ones who elect the movement's new leader.
Behind-the-scenes arrangements are often made to select the president before direct elections. The movement’s leadership in the Gaza Strip, which has the most weight in the movement, usually plays the decisive role in selecting the head of the central political bureau through internal understandings before heading to the ballot boxes. The composition of the Shura Council and the Political Bureau includes 3 equal shares for the three working arenas of the movement, which are the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and the diaspora, at a rate of one third for each arena. The Gaza Strip is the most important arena for Hamas among the three main arenas in which it operates, due to its possession of military, economic and organisational elements of strength that are equal to being a quasi-state.
Major General Mohamed Abdel Moneim, former head of the Egyptian Reconnaissance Service, said in an intervention with the "Cairo News" channel: " I believe that Hamas will not announce the name of the leader, Khalifa Sinwar, like Hezbollah, so that he will not be targeted again. What happened was a tactical victory for Israel, not a strategic victory." Brigadier General Tariq Al-Akari, a specialist in military economics, said "The only thing left of Hamas' military wing is Izz al-Din al-Haddad (ed: Abu Suheib - Gaza Brigade Commander) and Rafeh Muhammad Shabana, who are the remaining Hamas leaders, and certainly the occupation army and Netanyahu will be intoxicated by this operation." He continued: "I do not think that Hamas will announce a successor to Yahya Sinwar with us because he is being targeted by Israel."
All eyes are on a few prominent candidates, each with a unique history and experience.
- Khalil Al-Hayya is considered one of the most prominent candidates, as he currently holds the position of deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau in Gaza. Al-Hayya is known for being the head of the movement’s delegation for negotiations with regional and international mediators, which enhances his chances of assuming the position during the transitional period. He has a rich history of struggle, as he has survived several assassination attempts, which gives him a strong position within the movement. CNN confirmed that among the possibilities for Yahya Sinwar's successor is the leader Khalil al-Hayya, who was one of the senior negotiators for Hamas during the ceasefire talks held in Doha, explaining that he is most likely the person the United States wants, as stated by a former official. According to observers, Khalil Al-Hayya seems to be the closest to taking over the leadership at the present time, while the rest of the candidates may face challenges that hinder their progress at this sensitive stage.
- Khaled Meshaal, who previously headed the political bureau, was considered a clear choice for Hamas, though some stressed that it is unlikely that he will be chosen. Some sources claimed that Khaled Mashal was Yahya Sinwar's successor as leader, though he was considered less fortunate at this stage, given his lack of connection to the military levels of the movement’s armed wing, which may weaken his influence. Khaled Meshaal enjoys extensive regional relations due to his permanent residence outside the Gaza Strip, but this point may also reduce his chances of winning the position as a result of his distance from the Strip. Meshaal is one of the founders of the Hamas movement, and held the position of head of the movement’s political bureau from 1996 until 2017, and was succeeded in this position by Ismail Haniyeh. Khaled Meshaal has been living in exile since 1967. He has moved between Jordan, Qatar, Syria and other countries. He is in Turkey right now; the next target by IDF forces.
- Musa Abu Marzouk previously served as head of the political bureau and is considered one of the movement’s most prominent officials. He has extensive experience in international relations, making him a suitable choice, especially in light of the current political challenges. Musa Abu Marzouk, the first head of the political bureau of Hamas, was considered one of the prominent candidates. He held the position from 1992 to 1996. He is the most prominent official in the movement, especially since he is in charge of the movement’s international and foreign relations file. He is also one of the closest figures to and companion of the late head of the political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, and the most ambitious of them to return to the presidency of the movement again, especially since he holds the position of second deputy head of the political bureau.
- Zaher Jabarin, the financial mastermind of Hamas, is also among the candidates for the movement’s presidency, succeeding Yahya Sinwar. Jabarin is close to Türkiye, where he resided for a period of time. He had participated in operations carried out by the armed wing of Hamas. Every time the position becomes vacant, his name is put forward as a potential successor to lead the movement. He was born in September 1968 and participated in operations carried out by the movement’s armed wing. he was released in 2011 after 18 years of detention, during which he was serving a life sentence. He was released in exchange operations between Palestinian prisoners and the soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Hamas and has been a member of the Hamas political bureau since 2021. Zaher Jabarin has been managing Hamas's financial affairs for a long time.
- Mohammed Sinwar, Yahya’s brother, is also considered a potential candidate, though his chances seem slim due to his military background. It is said that Sinwar was accompanied by Mohammed Sinwar, the candidate to succeed him. But Yedioth Ahronoth reported the two of Sinwar's companions killed next to him were Mahmoud Hamdan and Hani Hamidan. He is known as the mastermind behind a number of operations, and is nicknamed “the shadow man” due to his rare public appearances. However, considerations of the political leadership may prevent him from taking the position. An American intelligence official expected that the negotiations would completely fail if Mohammed Sinwar, Yahya Sinwar's brother, succeeded him. The Hebrew newspaper "Maariv" revealed that Muhammad Sinwar, Yahya's brother, is considered the most prominent candidate to lead the movement.
- Mahmoud Al-Zahar, the hardline Hamas man, is one of the prominent figures nominated to assume the position of head of the Hamas movement, and is classified as the most hardline within the movement. During his career, he was subjected to several assassination attempts and arrests by Israel, which made him one of the figures that Israel constantly seeks to eliminate. Al-Zahar was no stranger to arrests, as he was arrested by Israel in 1988, six months after the founding of Hamas.
- Rawhi Mushtaha is a member of the Hamas political bureau and is considered one of Yahya Sinwar's closest allies and among the candidates for the movement's presidency. He is known for his important role in establishing Hamas' first security apparatus in the late 1980s, and Mushtaha contributed to strengthening the movement's security capabilities, which made him a constant target for Israeli assassination attempts. Israel released Mushtaha in 2021 as part of the Gilad Shalit deal, after many years spent in Israeli prisons.
Brig.-Gen. (res.) Amir Avivi, chairman of Bitchonistim (Security Experts), in his conversation with Maariv, commented “We have to admit that it’s still unclear whether Sinwar is alive or not, but it seems his brother is highly active and running things. So even if Sinwar has been, or will be, taken out, unless his brother and two or three other central figures are also eliminated, breaking Hamas’ hierarchical structure will be difficult.” Avivi noted that Sinwar’s brother was responsible for the captivity of Gilad Shalit, and that no prisoner exchange would happen without securing his own release. There is a trend in Iran for the new leader of Hamas to be like the new leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, so that he is not announced, as Israel has an American green light.
Social media users began circulating a statement attributed to the head of the Hamas movement abroad, Khaled Meshaal, stating that the movement “agrees to the Palestine Liberation Organization taking over the reins of affairs in the Gaza Strip.” According to the statement attributed to "Mashaal", after the announcement of the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, "we must gather our efforts and unite. Hamas's hands are extended to any political solution that protects the Palestinian people." The Al-Masry Al-Youm's fact-checking team verified the circulated statement and found it to be fabricated. By referring to the official accounts of the media outlet attributed to quoting the statement from “Mashaal,” it was found that it does not exist at all.
The lack of a clear and immediate successor could complicate matters and put the hostages at risk. In this regard, an informed Israeli source indicated that there is “concern that in the absence of clear leadership, the hostages could be killed – either out of revenge or because there is no plan for what to do with them.” The killing of Sinwar may encourage Netanyahu to carry out more military operations in the Gaza Strip, similar to what happened in Lebanon after the killing of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, in order to direct more strikes at Hamas in the hope of eliminating the movement. Another scenario is that the head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement will be a figure who refuses to reach an agreement and adheres to the movement’s conditions for any agreement, and thus the issue of the Israeli hostages in Gaza will remain, and with it the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the operation, saying: “Yahya Sinwar was eliminated by our soldiers, but the war is not over yet.” Netanyahu stressed the need to complete efforts to recover the kidnapped, adding: "We have dealt a blow to evil, but the mission is not complete." Foreign Minister Israel Katz claimed that the assassination of Sinwar opens the door to the possibility of the immediate release of the kidnapped. Katz noted that the operation could create a new reality in Gaza, free of Hamas control and Iranian influence.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Sinwar had completely refused to negotiate in the past few weeks. "It is clear that this obstacle has been removed. I cannot expect that this means that whoever replaces (Sinwar) will agree to a ceasefire, but (his death) removes what in recent months was a major obstacle to reaching a ceasefire," he added.
Israel had not targeted the various leaders of Hamas since an informal cease fire was declared in February of 2005. Before that cease fire, Israel had declared a campaign to wipe out the Islamic militant group's leadership ahead of the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in August of 2005. Israel was fairly successful in 2003-2004, in which they killed several Hamas leaders or senior officials. Following the killing of Abdel Aziz Rantisi on 17 April 2004, Hamas decided to try to avoid creating targets for Israel. Since that decison, Hamas has not had a clear single leader.
There are three generational groupings inside Hamas today, each more radical than its predecessor. The "first" or oldest generation, led by Abdel Fatah Dukhan, is closely associated with the regional Muslim Brotherhood and active in "da'wa," (preaching and mobilization). This generation has little influence in day-to-day decision-making. More influential is the "second generation" of Hamas, led by Political Bureau head Khaled Mish'al, deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, and "Interior Minister" Fathi Hamad. This generation is made up primarily of First Intifada veterans and was responsible for Hamas's emergence in the 1980s as a movement with a distinct identity from the Muslim Brotherhood. Finally, a more radical third generation forms the base of Hamas's military wing, under the leadership of Ahmad Ja'bari [who was killed by the Israelis in 2012] and funded [for a time] by Iran.
On 03 September 2005, the Hamas military wing, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, laid bare its command structure for the first time, posting names of seven top operatives, along with photos, biographies and interviews. The seven names were known to some in Gaza, but this marked the first time Hamas itself presented them in public, along with the commanders’ job titles. At the top of the pyramid was Muhammad Daif, who has been No 1 on Israel’s wanted list for years. The other senior operatives named on the website were: Ahmad Jaberi, a Daif deputy; Raid Said, commander of Gaza City; Ahmad al-Ghandur, commander of northern Gaza; Muhammad Abu Shamala, commander of southern Gaza; Marwan Isa, a Daif deputy; and Muhammad al-Sanwar, commander of the town of Khan Yunus.
“They published what they assume the Israeli intelligence knows, to get credit from the Palestinian public” according to Boaz Ganor, Israeli counter-terrorism expert. Three of the seven biographies were accompanied by headshots, while three others posed with masks. No picture accompanied the entry of the shadowy Daif.
The Israelis on 09 November 2023 published a most wanted list with rewards for any info leading to Hamas leaders.
In order to hold these terrorists accountable, the State of Israel will grant a financial reward to anyone who provides information about the whereabouts of any Hamas member who participated in the incursion. In addition to offering a financial reward to anyone who provides information about the whereabouts of the following people
Whoever no longer cares about the affairs of Muslims is not a Muslim.
Call and save yourselves. First of all, I'm Nick
054-2514659
Other Leaders
Musa Abu-Marzuq: Born in Gaza in 1951, Marzuq received a doctorate in industrial engineering in the United States. He serves as Hamas' deputy political leader, and is based in Syria. He lived in the United States and Jordan for many years and was expelled from both countries. In 2004, a U.S. court indicted him in absentia for coordinating and financing Hamas activities.
Aziz Dweik: Dweik, an academic by profession, was born in 1948 and has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. Dweik was deported to Lebanon in 1992 and served as spokesperson of the deportees.
Sheik Hassan Yousef: Yousef has been the head of Hamas in the West Bank since 2001. Considered by many experts to be pragmatic, Yousef's participation in parliament, may promote moderation within Hamas.
Sheik Muhammed Abu Tayr: Tayr, from Jerusalem, garnered the second-most votes on Hamas' national candidates list. Tayr spent 25 years in prison, is a former member of Fatah, and generally keeps a lower profile than other Hamas leaders. Though multiple reports claim Tayr supports sharia (Islamic law) influenced legislation, he does not appear to want to impose Islamic law.
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