Three months after Israel killed Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, a new leader has emerged to take his place: his younger brother, Mohammed Sinwar.
After Yahya Sinwar was killed in October, Hamas officials did not appoint a direct successor. Instead, officials based in Qatar formed a collective leadership council to make decisions about Hamas’s future.
But now, Hamas militants in Gaza are acting autonomously under the leadership of Mohammed Sinwar, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
Mohammed Sinwar is believed to be about 50 years old and was close to his brother Yahya and to Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas’s armed wing.
With both Yahya and Deif now dead, Mohammed Sinwar is Hamas’s most senior commander left in Gaza.
Mohammed Sinwar has continued the fight in Gaza and, like his older brother, has taken a tough stance in ceasefire negotiations with Israel.
Last year, Mohammed wrote to mediators that “Hamas is in a very strong position to dictate its terms.” He vowed to continue fighting until Israel agreed to a deal which “ends the sufferings of all Gazans and justifies their blood and sacrifices.”
