Hamas Faces Power Vacuum as Israel Eliminates Gaza’s Core Command
The collapse of Hamas’s secretive War Council has left the militant group without its top-tier leadership, marking a critical shift in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Israeli intelligence confirmed this week that Mohammad Sinwar, one of the group’s senior military commanders, was killed in an airstrike in May, sealing the fate of the once-powerful command structure that orchestrated the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Sinwar was the final identified member of the elite five-man group that directed Hamas’s most coordinated and deadly operation in its history. Known internally as the War Council or Quintet Council, the body operated with strict secrecy, using low-tech communications and avoiding face-to-face meetings to avoid detection.
The council included:
- Mohammad Deif, the mastermind of the October 7 attack, killed in July 2024.
- Yahya Sinwar, Gaza’s political leader and a major strategist, killed in a shootout with Israeli forces in October 2024.
- Marwan Issa, Deif’s deputy and liaison between Hamas’s political and military arms, killed in March 2024.
- Mohammad Sinwar, Deif’s trusted military lieutenant, confirmed dead in May 2025.
- A fifth unnamed commander responsible for security operations, now incapacitated from injuries sustained in an earlier Israeli strike.
Israel’s military said Mohammad Sinwar was killed in a targeted strike on a tunnel located beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis. His body was recovered and identified earlier this month.
The October 7 assault, which involved coordinated raids into Israeli territory, stunned international observers and triggered Israel’s massive military campaign in Gaza. The attack led to an all-out war, now in its 20th month, and caused immense destruction and humanitarian suffering across the enclave.
Hamas spent years preparing for the offensive, building tunnel networks and stockpiling weapons. It also imposed strict taxes and restrictions on Gazans to fund the buildup. Still, even some within the organization reportedly lacked full knowledge of the scope of the plan.
The group’s decision-making has now come under intense scrutiny. With its leadership wiped out and Gaza devastated, many Palestinians have questioned whether the operation served any lasting strategic purpose. The offensive, widely viewed as a political gamble, did not include a clear plan for post-conflict governance or diplomacy.
The absence of a functioning command now raises serious questions about Hamas’s future. Its military infrastructure has been shattered, and its remaining political leaders previously based in Qatar have remained out of public view since late 2024.
Without centralized leadership, Hamas faces internal disarray. Observers warn that this could lead to splinter groups forming or more radical factions gaining influence. Others suggest it could open space for other Palestinian entities to rise and steer Gaza’s future in a different direction.
The War Council’s end closes a defining chapter in Hamas’s history. Whether its legacy is remembered as one of bold confrontation or reckless miscalculation may depend on what comes next. What is clear is that the leadership behind the group’s most consequential decisions is now gone.
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