Hamas plans to keep the identity of its new leader a secret to prevent another assassination following the death of Yahya Sinwar, who was considered the mastermind of the October 7 attacks. An official from the group informed the BBC that a new leader will be elected in March 2025, but in the meantime, leadership will be managed by a five-member committee.
The committee, which will dictate in place of a sole leader, will be made up of Khalil al-Hayya, Khaled Meshaal, Zaher Jabarin, Muhammad Darwish, head of the Shura Council, and a fifth individual whose identity remains undisclosed.
The unnamed official told the broadcaster that Hamas had been left alarmed by the way Sinwar, 61, was killed last week as they had assumed he was in a more secure location at the time of his assassination.
He also added that the movement and personnel ensure their safety.
The official revealed that the Iranian foreign minister had met Khalil al-Hayya on Friday in Ankara and offered his condolences for the martyrdom of Sinwar.
Sinwar was eliminated on Wednesday after being hunted by intelligence services and the Israeli Defence Forces for over a year.
Israeli officials have said the Hamas head – who has long been dubbed the Butcher of Khan Younis – was killed after he emerged from the underground tunnel network where he had been hiding.
A unit from the IDF’s 828th Bislamach Brigade was patrolling Tal al-Sultan, an area of Rafah, on Wednesday morning, when it came across a group of three Hamas fighters in the street and engaged them in a firefight.
The terrorists were ‘on the run’ moving from house to house, the IDF said.
