Israel’s precision decapitation leaves Hamas leaderless, fearful, and trapped in its own culture of terror.
Hamas is expected to select a new leader later this month, according to two members of the terrorist organization, as it struggles to replace Yahya Sinwar, who was eliminated by Israel in 2024—leaving the group shaken and internally divided.
According to sources, Khalil Al-Hayya and Khaled Mashaal are the leading contenders. Both reside in Qatar and are members of the five-person leadership council that has run Hamas since Sinwar’s removal. The vacancy underscores Israel’s systematic dismantling of Hamas’ senior command.
Sinwar, one of the principal architects of the October 7, 2023 massacre against Israeli civilians, had himself replaced Ismail Haniyeh, who was eliminated by Israel during a visit to Iran in 2024. The pattern has fueled fears inside Hamas that any successor may quickly meet the same end.
Sources said the selection process is already underway, with a secret ballot planned within Hamas’ 50-member Shoura Council, comprising representatives from Gaza, Judea and Samaria, and operatives abroad. A Hamas spokesperson declined to comment, reflecting growing paranoia and operational insecurity.
In parallel, Hamas is also expected to appoint a deputy leader to replace Saleh Al-Arouri, killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon in 2024. While some figures reportedly favor continuing a collective leadership model, insiders say the organization is determined to complete the vote despite the risks.
The leadership crisis comes as US President Donald Trump advances a Gaza ceasefire framework that mandates Hamas’ disarmament and envisions Gaza administered by a technocratic Palestinian Arab authority under international supervision via the Board of Peace. Hamas has flatly rejected disarmament, clinging to weapons as its sole source of power.
Western governments, including the United States, continue to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization. Israel’s repeated elimination of Hamas leaders has laid bare a central truth: terror movements built on violence inevitably devour their own leadership, while Israel’s security doctrine continues to dismantle them with precision and resolve.
