Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the death of Hamas chief Muhammad Sinwar during a parliamentary session on May 28. Netanyahu said that Sinwar was eliminated in a May 13 strike targeting a Hamas command center beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged the killing of Sinwar on May 31, adding that the strike also killed Hamas’s Rafah Brigade commander, Muhammad Shabana, and the south Khan Yunis battalion commander, Mahdi Kawara.
Muhammad Sinwar had risen to prominence following the killing of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, his older brother, by the IDF in October 2024. Israel and the United States charged that Yahya Sinwar was the mastermind behind Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which escalated into the ongoing conflict. After Yahya’s death, Muhammad assumed the leadership of Hamas in Gaza until his elimination last month.
Hamas has not formally acknowledged the death of Sinwar or Shabana. The Islamist organization has kept a policy of not disclosing the deaths of most of its members and senior leaders during active conflict.
Nevertheless, the deaths of Sinwar and Shabana have tightened the increasingly small circle of remaining Hamas leaders in Gaza who were responsible for launching the October 7 surprise attack on southern Israel.
Among the most prominent remaining Hamas members who could succeed Sinwar is Gaza Brigade Commander Izz al Din al Haddad, also known as “Abu Suhaib.” Haddad has been a member of Hamas since the group declared itself as the Islamic Resistance Movement in 1987. Since his start in the nascent organization, Haddad has risen through the group’s ranks and eventually replaced Gaza Brigade Commander Bassem Issa, who was killed by Israel in 2021 during Operation Guardian of the Walls.
During the ongoing conflict, Israel has attempted to eliminate Haddad but has thus far failed. However, the IDF successfully targeted and killed both of his sons, Suhaib and Moaz. The IDF recently underscored that Haddad remains a high-priority target by circulating leaflets in Gaza featuring his image with a warning that he would receive a “ticket to hell.”
Another top Hamas military figure who has evaded Israeli elimination is Head of Operations Raed Saad, aka “Abu Moaz.” In June 2024, there were reports that the IDF killed Saad in a strike in Gaza City, but confirmation of his elimination never materialized.
In general, Hamas does not disclose details about its senior members. However, a 2005 article in Fajr al Intisar named Saad a “leader in Gaza.” Furthermore, a Ynet report stated that Saad devised the Jericho Wall invasion plan as a countermeasure to Israel’s construction of an underground border barrier.
Other Hamas figures who have survived the war, including Khudayfah al Kahlout (also known as Abu Obeida), Al Shaati battalion commander Haytham al-Hawajri, and Beit Hanoun battalion commander Hussein Fayyad, are potential contenders to fill the ranks of Hamas’s depleted leadership. However, Kahlout is a spokesperson and likely lacks the operational command experience required for military leadership. While Hawajri and Fayyad possess battlefield experience, neither has demonstrated the strategic leadership or organizational influence necessary to guide a Hamas that will likely face a period of profound reconstruction should it remain in power in Gaza. That said, if any of these individuals survive the war, their standing within the organization will almost certainly rise.
Hamas’s future in Gaza remains uncertain, as does the identity of its next leader in the territory. While the group maintains an external leadership structure based in Qatar, Turkey, and elsewhere, it ultimately requires a commander on the ground in Gaza to maintain control and legitimacy. However, at present, Hamas has not publicly said it has appointed a new leader in the Strip, likely due to the high risk of Israeli elimination (A secret leadership appointment has happened before). The IDF has inflicted significant damage on Hamas’s leadership cadre, particularly by eliminating senior figures with decades of operational experience against Israel. Still, if Hamas manages to continue ruling Gaza after the war, it will select a new leader and rebuild, as it has in past conflicts.
