After Haniyeh’s Death, Who Are Hamas’s Most Prominent Leaders?
Khalil al-Hayya, the deputy leader of Hamas in Gaza
Mr. al-Hayya, who lives in exile, has been a Hamas official for decades and is currently Mr. Sinwar’s deputy. He survived an Israeli assassination attempt in 2007, when an airstrike on his home in Gaza killed members of his family while he was not there.
He was thought to be a contender to succeed Mr. Haniyeh in future internal Hamas elections, Mr. Lovatt said.
Mousa Abu Marzouk, a member of Hamas’s top political bureau
One of Hamas’s founders, Mr. Abu Marzouk started his political career in the United Arab Emirates, where he helped found a branch of the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood, from which Hamas was formed, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations.
He later went to the United States, where he helped found Islamic institutions, including those focused on the Palestinian cause. In 1996, he faced Israeli charges of financing and helping organize terrorist attacks, when he headed Hamas’s political bureau. After 22 months spent in a Manhattan jail on suspicion of terrorism, he agreed to relinquish his permanent residence status in the United States and said he would not contest the terrorism accusations that led to his detention. The United States then deported him to Jordan.
He is now a senior member of the political bureau and splits his time between Gaza, Egypt and Qatar. He is another member of the cast of likely successors to Mr. Haniyeh, Mr. Lovatt said.
Muhammad Deif, the commander of Hamas’s military
Mr. Deif, another of the suspected planners of the Oct. 7 attacks, joined Hamas as a young man soon after its founding. In 2002, he became the leader of Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, succeeding its founder, who was killed in an Israeli strike. Mr. Deif has since orchestrated multiple attacks on Israel, including a series of suicide bombings in 1996.
Last month, Israeli forces bombarded a densely packed coastal area of Gaza with heavy munitions in an attempt to kill Mr. Deif. Scores of Gazans were killed in the attack. Israel’s military said on Thursday that it had killed Mr. Deif in the strike. Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied his death.
He had been at the top of Israel’s list of most-wanted terrorists for decades, earlier evading more than eight attempts on his life, according to Israeli intelligence. In 2014, an Israeli airstrike killed one of his wives and their infant son. Israeli officials believe that Mr. Deif, who for years has not been seen publicly, has spent much of the past decades in Hamas’s underground tunnels.
Aaron Boxerman contributed reporting.
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