During the last week, the most senior members of Hamas have been meeting in Qatar to choose a new political leader. Representatives from across the Middle East gathered following almost a year of heavy fighting between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. The meeting comes burning on the heels of the shocking death of Ismail Haniyeh. Israel is believed to have targeted the group’s previous political leader, who was reportedly killed in a blast in Tehran.
Haniyeh played an instrumental role within the organization, balancing between those among its militant wing yearning for conflict and members advocating for talks. His sudden demise created a huge leadership vacuum that needed rapid filling.
Mourning and the Start of A New Dawn
At Doha’s mourning ceremony, Hamas leaders met inside a large white tent decorated with mats and pictures of Haniyeh. The occasion was more than just commemorating his memory—it symbolized an end as well as possibly the beginning of radicalization for Hamas.
This was not their first time selecting new heads after funerals, which surprised them. In 2004, when Israel assassinated their founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, they convened for this purpose. However, unlike then -when it happened against the backdrop of heightened crisis and difficulty confronting the organization- this week’s gathering reflected such circumstances even more sharply.
Pressure on Hamas
The situation is very bad for Hamas now. After attacking Southern on October 7 last year, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, Israeli military retaliation has been devastating. The health ministry reported that over 39,600 people have died so far, while tens of thousands were also injured. This war has caused massive destruction within the Gaza Strip, damaging or destroying over half of the buildings. At the same time, virtually the whole population became homeless. The Least resistance towards rule since 2007 has kept growing, especially when faced with serious setbacks.
On July 31st in Tehran—a location once deemed secure—the killing of Ismail dealt a significant blow to the organization. Some reports suggest an anti-personnel missile struck him while he was using his phone, while other Western media outlets claim someone planted a bomb in the room earlier.
Choosing New Chief
With all these difficulties and more, the selection process of new chiefs began immediately after Doha’s mourning ceremony. Veteran leaders, as well as shadowy figures, held together within two days to elect Yahya Sinwar into office as political head. Sinwar — who since 2017 has been a leader inside the Gaza Strip-was not an expected choice by many people, though those conversant with his record realized he stood a good chance, especially after participating in the 2011 swap deal involving Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Sinwar has strong links with the armed wing Hamas, where his brother Mohammed commands the largest military battalion; this group also had another top figure named Mohammed Deif as its chief for two decades until recently, when he died. Despite leaders wrangling over other matters, the majority voted in favor of the war.
Leadership of Sinwar and its Upcoming Challenges
Many consider the appointment of Yahya Sinwar a message that defies Israel. Which can be attributed to the 7ctober seven attacks. Some Arab and Western officials advised Hamas against choosing Yahya Sinwar because he played a part in these attacks. Others within the organization viewed his leadership as a means through which they should acknowledge their comradeship.
As the war continues to rage, predicting when peace might prevail remains uncertain due to doubts about reaching a ceasefire. Reports indicate that Qatar and Egypt are working on a new truce proposal aimed at dissuading Iran from retaliating over Haniyeh’s killing in exchange for halting Israeli military operations in Gaza.
For now, it seems this conflict will continue indefinitely, as one of the most radical members of Hamas has received a five-year mandate. Therefore, he will remain a headless leader until this ongoing battle ends or kills him.
