Hamas plans to keep its new leader’s identity secret to avoid another assass!nation, following the k!lling of Yahya Sinwar, who was behind the October 7 att*cks.
A Hamas official told the BBC that a new leader would be elected in March 2025. Until then, a five-member committee will run the organization.
This committee, which replaces a single leader, includes Khalil al-Hayya, Khaled Meshaal, Zaher Jabarin, Muhammad Darwish (head of the Shura Council), and a fifth member whose identity remains secret.
The official expressed concern over Sinwar’s assass!nation, as they believed he was in a secure location. He also mentioned that Hamas has the resources to protect its leaders. Additionally, the Iranian foreign minister met Khalil al-Hayya in Ankara to offer condolences.
Sinwar was k!lled on Wednesday after being pursued by Israeli intelligence and the IDF for over a year. According to Israeli reports, Sinwar, nicknamed the Butcher of Khan Younis, was k!lled after emerging from underground tunnels in Rafah.
IDF forces encountered three Hamas fighters in Tal al-Sultan, engaging them in a firefight. Sinwar fled into a building, where troops fired a tank shell at him. When troops deemed it unsafe to advance, they deployed a drone to track him. Dramatic footage shows Sinwar, bloodied and trying to defend himself with a stick, moments before being k!lled.
