Speculations are rife that Hamas may have chosen a new leader for Gaza, a day after Israel confirmed that it targeted Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar, brother of slain Hamas former chief Yahya Sinwar. Israel has not yet confirmed whether Mohammed is dead, with the IDF stating his fate is unclear.
However, there are already speculations that Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, known by his aliases 'Abu Suhaib' and 'the Ghost of the al-Qassam Brigades' could be a likely successor, according to Ynet News. Haddad is one of the most prominent military commanders within Hamas’ armed wing.
Haddad, who began his stint in the militant group's al-Qassam Brigades as a company commander, grew to commanding a battalion and was eventually appointed commander of the Gaza Brigade after the assassination of his predecessor, Bassem Issa, in 2021.
He is said to have convened a meeting a day before the October 7 attacks wherein he authorised the commanders under his authority to "carry out the operation" after handing over the document. Haddad had also made a controversial comment in an Al Jazeera programme on how Hamas breached an Israeli server and discovered a document showing that the IDF was planning a large-scale war in Gaza even before the massacre.
Haddad had survived multiple Israeli assassination attempts over the years, including airstrikes targeting his home in 2008, 2012, 2021, and 2023.
Another name on the list of leading candidates is Muhammad Shabana, commander of the Rafah Brigade. Israel believes Shabana was also an active participant in the October 7 attacks. A commander of the Rafah Brigade, Shabana also survived multiple Israeli assassination attempts, including during the IDF’s ground operations in Rafah.
Shabana has survived several assassination attempts and lost three of his sons, according to Ynet.
Though there are speculations that he was also in the tunnel with Mohammed Sinwar, there is no confirmation in this regard.