The Middle East expert: “He is a key person” • Sinwar is singled out as the mastermind behind October 7
The announcement of the killing of Mohammad Dayf comes the day after it became known that Hamas’s top political leader, Ismail Haniya, was killed in Iran. This means that Israel has now killed four of Hamas’ most important leaders, in and outside Gaza.
Dayf described by Israel as “Gaza’s Osama bin Laden”, and is said to be responsible for many bloody deeds in Israel.
According to Middle East expert Isabell Schierenbeck, the killing of two strong leaders is “an extremely hard blow” to Hamas.
– Two important people are knocked out during an ongoing war, where Hamas is pressured and weakened, and now need to be replaced, says Schierenbeck.
– In addition, there are more and more indications of an increasing fatigue, frustration and anger among the civilian population in Gaza, which is also expressing itself a little more clearly now. D. There is much more fuss and there are more stories about this coming out of Gaza, she continues.
Will be replaced quickly
But even if Israel wants to say that Hamas is dissolving, and describes the killing of Hamas chief Mohammed Dayf as a “milestone” in the process of dismantling Hamas, Schierenbeck does not believe that Hamas will be weakened by this in the longer term.
– What you have seen in the past when Hamas leaders have been killed is that a new person is put in the position relatively quickly, she says.
– That the political leadership can say that is one thing, it can be part of a political rhetoric. But I haven’t seen it as clearly from security or intelligence or from the analysts I follow more closely.
At the same time, she emphasizes that this is a huge triumph for Israel.
– It has been set as one of the goals to take these political leaders. One does it and also one of them inside Iran.
“Number one on Israel’s list”
Although Israel’s military succeeded in knocking out several key figures within Hamas, there are still two important leaders in the organization’s top echelon that Israel aims to eliminate. Among them are Yahya Sinwar, the highest leader on the ground in Gaza, and Khalid Mashal, the longtime Hamas leader, and former chairman of the Politburo where he is a member.
In order for Israel to achieve its goal, it must also knock out Yahya Sinwar, Schierenbeck believes.
– He is the key person, and the highest military leader in Gaza and it is he who is above all the mastermind behind October 7. He is absolutely number one and he has been all along I would say.
– Sinwar is the one ultimately responsible, it is only when you get to him that you will possibly get an end.
“Difficult for Iran not to respond”
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has issued an order to strike back at Israel and many Israelis are now fearing new attacks.
– It is impossible for Iran not to respond. It is humiliating for Iran that this is being done on the spot in Tehran. There will be some kind of response.
– But we don’t know when it will come. It is likely that they will get a response relatively quickly and that it will be directed directly at Israel.